[4] Suchur, Succuir, Souk, or Suck, on the river Suck, which empties itself
    into the river of Pegu to the north of Thibet.—­Forst.

    This I suspect to be Chioming of our modern maps, on a river which
    runs north into the Soukouk lake.—­E.

[5] The country of the genuine rhubarb has been described by the great
    Russian traveller Palas, as situated on the river Selingol, not far
    from the town of Selinga, which falls into the Chattungol, Hoang-ho,
    Choango, or Karamuren.—­Forst.

The travels of Palas will be found in an after portion of this work; and it need only be remarked in this place, that there are at least two kinds of true rhubarb, the China and Russia; and that two species of the genus, the R. Palmatum and R. Undulatum, certainly produce the drug nearly of the same quality, and are probably to be found in various parts of central Asia or Tartary,—­E.

[6] Kampion, Kampition, Kampiciou, Kantscheu, or Kan-tcheou, in the Chinese
    province of Shensi, on the Etzine-moren, or Etchine river, which joins
    the Souk.—­Forst.

[7] Eziva, or Etzine, on a river of the same name, which runs into the Suck
    or Souhouk.—­Forst.

SECTION VIII.

Of the City of Caracarum and of the Tartars, with some account of their History, Monarchs, and Manners.

Having passed over the before mentioned desert of forty days, travelling always to the northward, we come to the large city of Charachoran, or Caracarum[1] which is three miles in circumference, and strongly fortified with an earthen rampart, as there is no stone in these parts.  Near the city there is a great castle with an elegant palace, in which the governor usually resides.  Near this place the Tartars used to assemble in old times, and here therefore I shall explain the original of their empire.

They dwelt at first in the northern parts called Curza and Bargu[2], where there are many vast plains without cities and towns, but abounding in pastures, lakes, and rivers.  They had no prince of their own nation, but paid tribute to a certain great king, named, as I have been told, in their language, Umcan, and which some people believe to signify, in the languages of Europe, Prester-John[3]; and to whom the Tartars gave yearly a tenth part of the increase of their flocks and herds, and of their horses.  In process of time, the Tartars so increased in numbers, that Umcan became afraid of them, and endeavoured to disperse them into several parts of his empire; and when any of them rebelled, he used to send parties into their territories to reduce them to obedience; for which purpose, he even frequently deputed some of their own nobles.  At length it became obvious to the whole nation, that their ruin was intended; and being unwilling to be separated from each other, they retired into the northern deserts, where they might be safe