A city made of tents around a living Buddha
Editorial contextThe Khalkha Mongols revered a lama called the Hutuktu, a 'living Fo' (Buddha), brother of one of their khans, who had built a costly temple of yellow glazed bricks on the Tula with workmen from Beijing; the Oirat ruler Galdan destroyed it in 1688. Now the Hutuktu lived in tents, and his camp drew Russian traders, monks from India, Pegu, Tibet and China, and lamas of every rank: 'a large City made of Tents'.
One may call it a large City made of Tents, the Hurry being much greater there than any where else in this Part of Tartary. The Russians of Selinghinskoy, which is not far distant, trade thither; there you meet also with Bonzas from Indostan, Pegu, Tibet, and China
About Khalkha Mongols and their Hutuktu (Jebtsundamba Khutuktu)
Keep in mind
The Jesuits boast of rebuking the lama to his face, and their account of Mongol Buddhism is hostile.
The Empress's moving palace
Editorial contextBeyond the Khangai forests the party reached the ordo of one of Chinggis Khan's principal wives, where more than a thousand carts and tents stood along a river and the captive Jin and Tangut princesses sent gifts of millet and silver. Flour was dear because 'Western barbarians' brought it by camel from beyond the Tian Shan, and the diarist notes that the Mongol word (wu-li-do, ordo) is rendered in Chinese as hing kung, which Bretschneider translates 'movable palace'. He found the carts and tents grander than anything the ancient Xiongnu rulers (shan yu) had possessed.
On the southern bank of the river there were more than a thousand carts and tents. … At this place eighty kin of flour cost fifty liang; for the flour is brought from beyond the Yin shan, a distance of more than 2000 li, on camels, by the Western barbarians. … Carts and tents had all a magnificent appearance, such as was unknown to the ancient Shan yü.
About Mongol court of one of Chinggis Khan's chief wives, with captive Jin and Tangut princesses
Keep in mind
Bretschneider (after Potanin) places this ordo on the Eter, a headwater of the Selenga; the site is a guess. He reckons a liang of silver at about six shillings.