Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 569

1850.

Translation of Two Mongolian Lellers.

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I subjoin a translation of those discovered by M. Rémusat, following, however, not his renderings, but those into German by the Mongolian scholar Dr. Schmidt of St. Petersburg, which are more correct; and probably only more faithful versions of the originals, because of a vagueness and obscurity in one or two places. He published a pamphlet on the subject, entitled Philologisch-kritische Zugabe zu den zwei Mongolischen Original-briefen der Könige von Persien Argun und Öldshäitu, to which brochure, to the Mémoires, &c., of Rémusat, and to D'Ohsson's Histoire des Mongols, I refer the reader who would like to acquaint himself fully with the events that led to the subjoined let. ters. A short summary only is here given.

The Mongolian people, at the birth of Genghis Khan, was composed of several tribes or clans who occupied a mountainous region on the present confines of China and Russia, not far from Kiakta, now the cominon mart of these two nations. There they seem to have fought among themselves as bitterly as did the clans of the Scotch Highlands in former days. Genghis was born chief of one of these clans, but his father, the old chief, dying when the heir was only 13 years of

age, it was instantly pounced upon and dispersed by its enemies. Genghis himself was taken and cangued, but contrived to escape by getting to a small lake, and lying with his cangue round his neck, under water, his nostrils only above the surface, while his enemies were seeking for him on the banks. By dint of hard fighting during 30 years, after several reverses and many narrow escapes, he succeeded not only in re-establishing his own clan, but in subduing, first all the other Mongolian clans, then all the other races of Tartar nomads; from which time his life was one continued scene of successful warring. Hardy and courageous, rigidly just by nature, essentially barbarous by training and habits, he was eminently fitted for the career he ran. Before his time, among the Tartar hordes, "nothing," he said, "was more common than theft and adultery, the child did not obey his parents, husbands had no confidence in their wives, wives were not submissive to their husbands, and robbery escaped with impunity;" and his rigorously enforced code punished theft and adultery with death. Conversing one day with his generals, he asked them what they thought the chief pleasure of man. They all mentioned hunting. "No," replied Genghis, the greatest enjoyment of man is to conquer his enemies, to drive them before him, to seize what they possess, to see the faces of the persons dear to them bathed in tears, and to press in his arins their daughters and their wives." His formidable, easily-moved, ever-ready, armies were not even encumbered with Sir Charles Napier's