and go freely on commercial business. The Dzargotchi and the Russian civil officers respectively visit each other. This free communication is only permitted during the day; every one must be again at home as soon as the retreat is beaten on the Russian side, and as soon as the firework is let off in the court of the Dzargotchi, which announces the closing of the gates of both places. The Dzargotchi exercises the jurisdiction at Mai mai tchin, and adjusts differences between the Chinese and Mongols. All the merchants who arrive from China are obliged to submit to him their permission to trade. His adjunct bears the name of Bochka, or Commissioner; he is generally a Mandchou; his authority is very limited. All that regards the immense frontier from the Gerbitchi to the Irtish is not only communicated in writing to the Chancellerie of the frontier at Kiakhta, but also to the Chinese Dzargotchi. Any matters of inferior importance are decided immediately.

For the better administration of the police of the frontier, it has been divided into different portions, each under an inspector. The latter is obliged to reside in one of the most populous places of the frontier, so that he is always much occupied. These inspectors are authorized to communicate personally with the Chinese and Mongol authorities nearest to their place of residence on any affairs which may arise. The Chancellerie of the Russian frontier arranges all that concerns the military inspection of its limits, by a Commissioner who treats with the Chinese Bochkha. Couriers are likewise sent from the Ourga to Irkutsk, and vice versa. The distance between these two places is nearly seven hundred wersts. The Dzargotchi is charged with expediting these couriers. Those who go from the Chinese side are always five at a time, viz., a Bochkha, with his adjunct, a copyist, and two servants. The journey is made on horseback, and with the greatest rapidity. Besides Mongol tea, the Russian couriers are supplied with two live sheep, with which they prepare their own meals. The skins belong to the Bochkha.

The Chinese, Mandchous, and Mongols, never take off their caps to salute, or show their respect even in the highest cere

monies. They salute by dropping the arms, imperceptibly bending their knees down to the ground, and pronouncing at the same time some words of cold politeness. In this way they present themselves before the Governor of Irkutsk. The Chinese require the Russian employés to salute in the European fashion by taking off their hats.

The object proposed in establishing a commercial depôt at Kiakhta has been completely accomplished: but it has entirely failed at Tsouroukhaitou on the Argoun, because the situation of the last-mentioned place was extremely inconvenient. The Russian merchants can transport their merchandise by water to within twenty-six wersts of Kiakhta. This transport is effected on the Selenga to the village of Oust Kiakhta, near the stream of the same name, which rises to the north of the hill of Kiakhta. The route to Tsouroukhaitou, on the contrary, traverses rocky mountains, which render it very difficult and fatiguing. The Chinese carry but little merchandise thither. At present they repair to that place in the month of June, on their route from the town of Non, or Naun. A superior Mandchou officer and his suite accompany them. This officer is at the same time charged to inspect that part of the frontier which passes along the Amour and Argoun. The merchandise which the Chinese bring thither consists of tea in bricks, in Chinese, Tchouantchka-tobacco for smoking, coarse blue, and white cottons (daba); some silk stuffs, sewing silks, and various other trifles, as much in use among the Russians as among the Mongols. They exchange these articles for cattle, furs, sheep-skins, Russia leather, common cloths, and things of that kind. The Chinese only carry on this commerce in conformity with the treaty.

According to this same treaty, the Russians have the right to send every three years a caravan to Pekin. However, this permission has not been much used; and, since 1727, but six have been sent, viz. in 1727, 1732, 1736, 1741, 1746, and 1755. These caravans were productive of very little advantage to Russian trade. For this reason, the Empress Catherine II. forbade, by her decree of August 10th, (old style) 1762, any ca

ravan to be sent to China at the expense of Government. At the same time she gave up the trade at Kiakhta to private individuals, in consequence of which it prospered considerably, and rendered the caravans to Pekin useless.

After the first treaty between China and Russia, concluded in 1689, a pillar of stone was erected at the mouth of the great Gerbitsi, and on the left of the Amour. This pillar is two thousand two hundred and fifty ly (two hundred and fourteen and a quarter German miles) distant from the Mandchou town, Tsitsigar, and one thousand six hundred and eleven ly (one hundred and fiftythree and a half German miles) from Sakhalyan oula khoton. It bears the following inscription in Russian, Latin, Chinese, Mandchou, and Mongol.

Stone on which is engraved the determination of the frontier, as it was fixed by the Envoys of the empires of the Thai thsing and of the Oros.

1. The rivers Dchorna and Ourounma, which run from the north, fall into the river of the Black Dragon, (Amour) and which are in the neighbourhood of the Gerbitsi, shall form the frontier. But, from the upper part of this river, the barren country and the advanced rocks of the great chain of Khinggan to the sea, with all the streams and rivers of the mountains which come from the south, shall belong to the empire of the Oros.

2. The course of the river Ergoune (Argoun) which falls into the Black Dragon (Amour) shall be the frontier. What lies to the south of its banks shall belong to the Chinese Empire, and what is to the north, to that of the Oros. All the habitations of the Oros which are on the southern side must be removed to the northern side, near the mouth of the river Merelka.

3. The fortress of the Oros, erected at the place called Yaksa, shall be demolished, and its inhabitants and all its property are to be restored without delay to the Tsakhan khan.*

4. Hunters and all others are to be strictly forbidden to pass

White Khan. This is the name by which all the people in the interior of Asia designate the Emperor of Russia.

the frontier. If any evil disposed persons pass it, to steal or to hunt, they shall be given up to the commandant of the place which they last left. This commandant shall be obliged to punish them in proportion to their crime. If a troop of ten or fifteen men shall pass the frontier to hunt, murder, or plunder, a report shall immediately be made to the emperor, and they shall be punished without delay, in order that trifling circumstances may not lead to great disorders. In this manner, a good understanding will be kept up with China, and peace will not be disturbed.

5. All that has hitherto passed between the two empires shall be forgotten. The Oros who are in China, and the Chinese who are established among the Oros, shall remain there, and shall not be exchanged.

6. In consideration of the perpetual peace existing between the two empires, caravans are now permitted to travel with passports, and to trade by the way.

7. After the conclusion of this treaty of peace, no deserter shall be admitted; he shall be sent back immediately.

The Russian trade at Kiakhta is much less considerable than it is generally supposed to be. The amount of the merchandize exchanged there rarely exceeds the sum of twenty-four millions of francs per annum; and often only rises as high as six millions. Since the Americans and the English have brought a quantity of skins to Canton, Russian furs have not so large a sale at Kiakhta. To supply this deficiency in the annual balance, cloths of middling quality are sent thither; these were formerly bought in Silesia, but they are now, in part, manufactured in Russia.

ON THE POLITICAL OPINIONS OF GERMANY.

SIR,

To the Editor of the Portfolio.

Banks of the Elbe, July 3, 1836.

A lively writer, who has since applied himself to subjects of more serious import, (indeed to no less grave a theme than the "Defence of the Constitution,") once took it into his head, in a novel published some eight or nine years ago, to affirm, that at Munich or Carlsruhe the Quarterly Review would be considered one of the most liberal journals of Europe. This assertion, hyperbolical as it may appear, and startling as it may have been (if they ever noticed it) to the conductors of the Quarterly, must be admitted to have contained a good deal of truth at the period when it was hazarded. There are some subjects on which an Englishman, of whatever party, will speak out with an energy of feeling, and a native truth of expression, which can hardly fail of surprising any ear used only to the guarded allusions of a press shackled by the Censorship. Such is this present subject of the designs of Russia, as threatening the independence of every nation, into whose counsels she may insinuate herself by address, or whose territory she may be prepared to invade by open force; and it was, perhaps, through a similar impression, and from inadvertency to the language of most of the Tory journals, that an otherwise well-informed German paper was betrayed into a surmise that, by internal evidence, the reasonings of the Portfolio may be traced to the party-tenets of the "Radical Whigs." Yet, upon the whole, it must be granted, that the state of your domestic parties is better understood at present than it had been previously to the year 1831; and this is owing principally to the