D'Anville's maps of China and Chinese Tartary

Bukhara, 'twice the size of Moscow', in Great Tartary

Editorial contextThe Relation opens by noting that geographers count Bukharia as part of Great Tartary, because 'the Tartars, or rather the Kalmyks' had invaded part of it; the author insists it is a separate state, just as China remained China under its Tartar conquerors. Great Bukharia has several towns, each with its own khan, of which Bukhara is said to be twice as large as Moscow.

Geographers usually regard Bukharia as part of Great Tartary. Indeed the Tartars, or rather the Kalmyks, have invaded part of it … There are several towns in Great Bukharia, and each has its own khan or regent. The chief ones are Bukhara, which is said to be twice as large as the city of Moscow in Russia

Working translation

Original wording

Les Géographes regardent ordinairement la Boucharie, comme faisant partie de la Grande Tartarie. En effet les Tartares, ou pour mieux dire les Calmuques, en ont envahi une partie … Il y a plusieurs Villes dans la Grande Boucharie, & elles ont chacune son Cham, ou Régent. Les principales sont: Bouchara, qu'on dit être deux fois plus grande que la ville de Moscou en Russie

About Bukharans; Kalmyks (Zunghars) as 'Tartars'

Stone houses and mud-brick ovens in Little Bukharia

Editorial contextThe anonymous author, who says he lived in Little Bukharia, describes its townspeople's houses as built of stone and fairly good, with few furnishings: no tables or chairs, only Chinese chests on which mattresses were laid. Slaves bought from the Kalmyks, Russians and others cooked in iron pots set into a hearth, and some houses had small ovens of clay or unbaked brick, like their walls.

The houses of the Bukharans are of stone and passably good. Their furniture is scanty and plain. They have neither tables nor chairs. … Some also have small ovens, which are made, like the rest of their walls, of clay or of unbaked bricks.

Working translation

Original wording

Les maisons des Bouchars sont de pierre, & passablement bonnes. Leurs meubles sont en petit nombre, & de peu d'ornement. Ils n'ont ni tables ni chaises. … Il y en a qui ont aussi de petits fours, qui se font, comme le reste de leurs murailles, de terre grasse ou de briques crues.

About Bukharans (townspeople of Little Bukharia) under Kalmyk rule

Cutting out the illness with a knife

Editorial contextThe Relation describes the Bukharans' cure for sickness: a mullah reads from a book, blows on the patient several times and makes passes with a sharp knife around his face, believing this cuts the root of the illness, which they hold to be the Devil's work. The dead, it adds, are buried with a Koran on the chest in a pleasant grove fenced with a hedge or palisade.

When a Bukharan falls ill, this is the remedy he uses: a mullah reads him a passage from some book, blows on him several times, and with a well-sharpened knife makes various passes all round the sick man's face. They imagine that by this operation they cut the root of the illness, which they say is the work of the Devil.

Working translation

Original wording

Lorsqu'un Bouchar tombe malade, voici le remede dont il se sert; Un Mula lui lit un passage de quelque livre, souffle à plusieurs reprises sur lui, & d'un couteau bien aiguisé fait plusieurs gesticulations tout autour du visage du Malade. Ils s'imaginent que par cette opération ils coupent la racine de la maladie, qu'ils disent d'ailleurs être l'ouvrage du Diable.

About Bukharans (Muslim townspeople of Little Bukharia)

How the map of Tartary was put together

Editorial contextThe atlas foreword, summarising du Halde, says the Jesuits' manuscript maps passed through d'Anville's hands before engraving. For the general map of Tartary he used the travel memoirs of Father Gerbillon checked against the sheet maps, and for the lands between Tibet, Tartary and the Caspian, where the missionaries had only imperfect information, he combined their notes with whatever else he could learn.

they passed through the hands of Mr d'Anville … who then made the general maps from them. For that of Tartary he used the memoirs of Father Gerbillon, comparing them with the particular maps … as the missionaries had some knowledge, though imperfect, of the countries lying between Tibet, Tartary and the Caspian Sea, Mr d'Anville made use of it

Working translation

Original wording

elles ont passé par celles de Mr. d'Anville … qui en a formé ensuite les Cartes générales. Il s'est servi pour celle de la Tartarie des Mémoires du Pere Gerbillon, en les comparant avec les Cartes particulières … comme les Missionaires avaient eu quelques connoissances, quoi qu'imparfaites des Pays situez entre le Thibet, la Tartarie & la Mer Caspienne, Mr. d'Anville en a fait usage