grandson of Ayouki. The Russians never
ceasing to require him to furnish soldiers for incorporation into
their armies, and having at last carried off his own son to serve them
as a hostage, and being besides of a religion different from his, and
paying no respect to that of the Lamas, which the Torgouths profess,
Oubache and his people at last determined to shake off a yoke which
was becoming daily more and more insupportable. After having secretly
deliberated among themselves, they concluded that they must abandon a
residence where they had so much to suffer, in order to come and live
more at ease in those parts of the dominion of China where the
religion professed is that of Fo. At the commencement of the eleventh
month of last year [December, 1770] they took the road, with their
wives, their children, and all their baggage, traversed the country of
the Hasaks [Cossacks], skirted Lake Palkache-nor and the adjacent
deserts; and, about the end of the sixth month of this year [in
August, 1771], after having passed over more than ten thousand _lys_
during the space of the eight whole months of their journey, they
arrived at last on the frontiers of Charapen, not far from the borders
of Ily. I knew already that the Torgouths were on the march to come
and make submission to me. The news was brought me not long after
their departure from Etchil. I then reflected that, as Ileton, general
of the troops that are at Ily, was already charged with other very
important affairs, it was to be feared that he would not be able to
regulate with all the requisite attention those which concerned these
new refugees. Chouhede, one of the councillors of the general, was at
Ouche, charged with keeping order among the Mahometans there. As he
found it within his power to give his attention to the Torgouths, I
ordered him to repair to Ily and do his best for their solid
settlement.... At the same time I did not neglect any of the
precautions that seemed to me necessary. I ordered Chouhede to raise
small forts and redoubts at the most important points, and to cause
all the passes to be carefully guarded; and I enjoined on him the duty
of himself getting ready the necessary provisions of every kind inside
these defences.... The Torgouths arrived, and on arriving found
lodgings ready, means of sustenance, and all the conveniences they
could have found in their own proper dwellings. This is not all. Those
principal men among them who had to come per