, 1880-07-17

'sod perhaps impescepably but this retro.
spect. while taking us through some little
KNOW, chapters Of history, will make the
whole Of the past sufi ,isntly clear.
The conquest Of Siberia which the Cos
sack Ifmak had begun in the 10th century
was completed before the year 1860 by
the ann exation of the country lying to the
north of the Amour. and by the subsection
OF the NOR important Tungusian tribes.
Almost stimuli t~aneously with the establish
menu Of the present dynasty upon the
throne OF Pekin, Russia, therefore, became
directly interested in the condition of the
nothern dependencies of China, aud of the
great high road through Kiachta and
Kalgan to the capital. A cham of forts,
OF which AIbazin and Misunderstanding -
or simply Astrog-were the princl-
pal, WINS constructed along the new
frontier, and steps Were taken, not
only to defend what had been wop, but
also to turn the new possessions 10 the
best account for the advancement of
commerce. At first the Manchus were
either Indifferent to the movements of
Russia-although q Russian Envoy had
visited Pekin as early as 1656-or too
much occupied in establishing their posi-
ton in China to assert their rights on the
Amour and it may be doubted whether
they would have directed their attention
as soon they did to this quarter if the
successes OF the hungarian prince Galdan
had not supplied a stronger incentive than
the activity OF a small body of Russian
traders and esdyenturers. Be that as it
may, h0 weveroit was not until the year
l6S0pwlteanthe Emperor Kanghi had been
90years9upoii The throne, that events in
sbis ,iquaster 70 reached q crisis. A large
Chiaessi army fad marched beyond the
Gfakt' 'SYIaatpfe n Consequence of the war
with Galdan, and Kangh's power bad
been rendered inconteslabIe among the
KhGlkas by its victories on the KYulon.
Doubtless it seemed an intolerable insult
10 the successful ruler that there should be
IN his close neighbourhood q people who
were independent. if not absolutely hostile
to him. The army on the spot supplied
a ready means Tor carrying out his wishes,
aud a detachment was accordingly sent to
attack the fort at Astrog. The garrison
held o1s brsvely, and the Chinese were
forced TO retreat with some loss. They
soon returned, however. in greater strength
and. ~disregaroing the smaller fort at Astrog.
laid siege to Albaz;n, the principal strong
hotd ot t1e Russians. The garrison was
obliged 10 surrender. and was sent to
Pekfn.S wbere it became the nucleus OF O
Russian colony, and the fort was RACED to
the ground. Discouraged by this disaster
The troops in the other forts evacuated
their positions and withdrew. The
Chinese army was shortly afterwards sum.
moned away by the outbreak of a fresh
war with Galdan and within a year after
these reverses the Russians returned and
rebuilt their tort at Albazin. The local
Chinese, forces again attacked it, but
their efforts produced little or no result.
RelniorcemeIts were set from Pekin, but
Kanghl, much occupied With graver
matters elsewhere. wanted peace, and
sent at the same time two missionaries,
one OF whom was Father Gerbillion, to
negotiate a truce with the Russians. A
treaty was concluded and signed on the 9TH
of September, 1859, by the terms of which
Several Russian forts were destroyed and
their territory restricted to the northern
side ct the Ergon, a tributary of the
Amour. perpetual peace between the
two Empires was also declared, and,
although the peace is not likely to prove
I" perpetual, y" this treaty of Nipchu still
deserved to be considerered mo st success