Pallas's 'New Northern Contributions', a journal of reports from Russia's frontiers
A serial edited by Pallas (1781 to 1796) printing field journals, letters and reports from Siberia, the Altai, the Crimea, Mongolia and beyond.
Full title New Northern Contributions to Physical and Geographical Description of Lands and Peoples, Natural History and Economy, 7 volumes, 1781-1796 (continued as Neueste nordische Beyträge)
Pallas edited the 'Neue Nordische Beyträge' (7 volumes, St Petersburg and Leipzig, 1781 to 1796, the last as 'Neueste') as an outlet for reports that would otherwise stay in Russian or in manuscript. Pieces used here include Vasily Zuev's notes on the Crimea (1783), the Altai journal of the mine official Peter Shangin (1786), the botanist Johann Sievers's letters from Siberia and the Mongolian border (early 1790s), and J. G. Stritter's description of Peking. Pallas translated many of them from Russian and added footnotes. This corpus has volumes 1 to 4 (Russian State Library scans) and volumes 5 and 7 (CIHM microfiche).
How they knew
Part eyewitness
Who “Tartar” means here
Each author uses 'Tatar' for the people in front of him: the Muslim Crimean Tatars under their khans, the shamanist 'mountain Tatars' of the Altai, the Sagai and Kuznetsk Tatars of the Abakan steppe (Khakas), and in general the Turkic peoples as distinct from Kalmyks and Mongols.
Why read it
Vivid reports from people on the spot, including a clear statement of who built the Crimean fortresses, Siberians crediting the steppe's ancient graves to an unknown 'Chud' people, and Altai burial customs.
Watch out
Every article has a different author and quality; several are translations from Russian, and Pallas himself warns that Zuev's history is not fully reliable. The microfiche OCR is often cropped or scrambled.
Bakhchysarai, Eski-Krim and Kefa: where the Crimean khans lived
Editorial contextZuev, back from an Academy journey to the Crimea, sketches the khanate's capitals. The khans had lived for over 200 years at Bakhchysarai, having moved there from Eski-Krim (Staryi Krym), the old Genoese city, after Mengli Giray took the sea ports and expelled the Genoese; at first the Tatars had been at Kozlov (Yevpatoria). Under the current khan Şahin Giray the residence had moved to Kefa, the old Theodosia. He adds that rich Tatars and murzas mostly live in the country, not in towns.
The residence of the Crimean khans was formerly at Bakhchysarai, in which town they had their seat for over 200 years. It was moved there from Eski-Krim (Old Crimea), the capital of the Genoese, soon after Mengli Giray Khan had conquered all the sea ports and driven the Genoese out of their possessions.
Working translation
Original wording
Die Residenz der krimmischen Chans war sonst in Baktschisarai, in welcher Stadt sie über 200 Jahr ihren Sitz gehabt haben. Sie ward dahin von Eski-Krim (Alt-Krim), der Hauptstadt der Genueser, bald nachdem Mengli-Girei Chan alle Seeplätze erobert, und die Genueser aus ihren Besitzungen vertrieben hatte, verlegt.
Vasily Zuev (Sujef), 'Nachrichten von der Krim', in Neue Nordische Beyträge vol. 4 (1783), edited by P. S. Pallas
Khanbalik and Ordu-Balik: the 'king's city' and the 'royal camp'
Editorial contextStritter's description of Beijing explains that the Inner City was part of the city built by Kublai, the 'Kambalu' of Marco Polo, from the Mongol 'Khan' and 'balga' or 'balgasun' (town), meaning the king's city, which Persians and Arabs turned into Khanbalik. It adds that eastern writers used the name for any royal residence, including towns in Tartary, and that Orda-Balik or Ordu-Balik likewise meant 'the royal camp'.
What has now been said of Khan Balik and so on applies also to Orda Balik, Ordu Balik, or Orda and Ortu, which words mean royal in Mongolian. Thus the royal camp was called Orda-Balgasun, Ordo Balga, Ordo Balk.
Working translation
Original wording
Was jetzt von Chan Balik u. s. w. ist gesagt worden, gilt auch von Orda Balik, Ordu Balik, oder Orda und Ortu, welche Wörter im Mongolischen königlich bedeuten. So nannte man Orda-Balgasun, Ordo Balga, Ordo Balk, das königliche Hoflager.
J. G. Stritter, description of Peking, in Neue Nordische Beyträge vol. 2 (1781)
Editorial contextZuev credits the Crimean fortresses to three builders: the Genoese fortified the towns, the Tatars razed the walls when they took them, and the Turks later restored the fortifications at Kefa, Kerch and Kozlov and built Arabat and Perekop. At Perekop a broad, deep, stone-lined ditch cut the isthmus from sea to sea behind an earth rampart, while the fortress itself had become heaps of brick, bombs and cannonballs.
All these places were well fortified as long as the Genoese ruled them, but the Tatars razed the fortifications when they took them. When they later became subject to the Turks, these restored the fortifications at Kefa, Kerch and Kozlov and built the fortress of Arabat … as well as Perekop
Working translation
Original wording
Alle diese Oerter waren, so lange die Genueser sie beherrschten, wohl befestigt, die Tatarn schleiften aber, bey der Einnahme derselben, die Festungswerke. Wie sie nachher den Türken unterwürfig wurden, stellten selbige in Kefa, Kertsch und Koslow die Festungswerke wieder her, und legten die Festung Arabat … wie auch Perekop an
Vasily Zuev (Sujef), 'Nachrichten von der Krim', in Neue Nordische Beyträge vol. 4 (1783), edited by P. S. Pallas
Steppe full of ancient graves of the 'Chud', an unknown people
Editorial contextCrossing the 'Tatar steppe' to the Abakansk fort on the Yenisei, the botanist Sievers found the whole area full of ancient grave monuments of a people still unknown, whom Siberians simply called Chud. He saw no inscriptions on the many standing stones. Nearby, he notes, Abakansk had been built in the previous century with palisades and five small cannon against raids by Tatars and Kirgiz.
On the whole Tatar steppe and round about here everything is full of very ancient grave monuments of a nation unknown until now, which in Siberia are simply called Chud. On the many standing stones I saw inscriptions nowhere.
Working translation
Original wording
Auf der ganzen tatarischen Steppe und hier herum ist alles voll von uralten Grabmälern von einer bis jetzt unbekannten Nation, die nur schlechthin in Sibirien Tschudi genannt werden. An den vielen aufgerichteten Steinen sah ich nirgends Inschriften.
Johann Sievers, letters from Siberia, in Neueste Nordische Beyträge vol. 7 (1796), edited by P. S. Pallas
Birch-bark yurts gleaming white on the Sagai steppe
Editorial contextStaying some days with the Tatars by Lake Ilkul on the Sagai steppe, Sievers praises their fine horses and cattle, sold to merchants as far as Moscow, notes that traders always bring brandy because 'one bargains better with a drunk Tatar than a sober one', and says he saw no sign of religion. Their yurts, he writes, were clean and roomy and all built of birch bark, shining a dazzling white against the green meadows and hills.
Their yurts are clean, roomy, and all built of birch bark, which in sunshine give off a dazzling whiteness into the distance and contrast most pleasantly with the green of the meadows and hills.
Working translation
Original wording
Ihre Jurten sind reinlich, geräumig, und alle von Birkenrinde gebauet, die bey Sonnenschein eine blendende Weisse in … der Ferne von sich geben und aufs Angenehmste mit dem … Grün der Wiesen und Berge contrastiren.
Johann Sievers, letters from Siberia, in Neueste Nordische Beyträge vol. 7 (1796), edited by P. S. Pallas
Editorial contextThe mine official Shangin, travelling in the high Altai, describes the local 'mountain Tatars' as herders who do no farming. Their huts, apart from the elders', are wretched: a few poles set up in a pyramid and covered with hair felts or, more often, animal hides, because they make no felt themselves. Since they move often with their herds, empty pole pyramids stand in many places.
they set up a few poles … together and cover them with hair felts, but still more commonly with animal hides, since … make none themselves
Working translation
Original wording
sie stellen einige Stangen … zusammen, und bedecken sie mit Haarfilzen, noch gewöhnlicher aber mit Thierfellen, weil … selbst keine … verfertigen
Peter Ivanovich Shangin, journal of an Altai journey (translated by P. S. Pallas), Neue Nordische Beyträge vol. 5 (1793)
Editorial contextShangin admits he could learn little reliable about their burials; Cossacks told him they sometimes burned their dead, which he doubted. What he was sure of is that they never bury them in the ground: he found many corpses in full dress with their riding gear in caves and on high open rocks, and they also lay the dead on a scaffold of brushwood on tall poles, wrapped in skins with saddle and harness under the head. Often a horse is tied beside it until it drops from hunger.
This much is certain, that they never bury them in the earth … They also make a scaffold of brushwood on high poles and lay the corpse on it, dressed in skins, with saddle and harness under the head and covered with hair felts. Often a horse is added as well … which finally drops from hunger.
Working translation
Original wording
So viel ist gewiß, daß sie selbige nie in die Erde vergraben … Sie machen auch wohl auf hohen Stangen, von Strauchwerk, ein Gerüst, und legen die Leiche, mit Fellen bekleidet darauf, Sattel und Zeug unter den Kopf und bedeckt mit Haarfilzen. Dazu wird oft noch ein Pferd … welches endlich vor Hunger umfällt.
Peter Ivanovich Shangin, journal of an Altai journey (translated by P. S. Pallas), Neue Nordische Beyträge vol. 5 (1793)
A quarter of an hour to eat hundreds of roast oxen
Editorial contextDescribing the khan's duty to join Ottoman wars with 100,000 men, Zuev reports how the Tatar army was welcomed on reaching the Turkish camp: hundreds of roasted oxen and two or three thousand sheep on spits were laid out in rows on the open field with heaps of bread, and at a cannon shot the Tatars fell on the food and ate it all within a quarter of an hour. He adds that they carried no provisions, lived on plunder in enemy country, and were cruel foes, a judgement coloured by long wars.
the day after the army arrived, several hundred roasted oxen and two to three thousand sheep on spits were set out in several rows on the open field, with great heaps of bread thrown up between them; as soon as all was ready, the signal was given by a cannon shot, whereupon the Tatars fell upon the food and devoured it so quickly that within a quarter of an hour nothing was left.
Working translation
Original wording
es wurden den Tag nach der Ankunft des Heers einige hundert gebratene Ochsen, und zwey bis dreytausend Schaafe, auf Spießen, in verschiednen Reihen, auf freyem Felde ausgestellet, und zwischen selbigen große Haufen Brod aufgeworfen; sobald alles fertig war, ward durch einen Kanonenschuß das Signal gegeben, worauf die Tatarn auf die Speisen zufielen, und selbige in solcher Geschwindigkeit verzehrten, daß in einer Viertelstunde nichts mehr übrig war.
Vasily Zuev (Sujef), 'Nachrichten von der Krim', in Neue Nordische Beyträge vol. 4 (1783), edited by P. S. Pallas
Hearsay about earlier campaigns, written in the year Russia annexed the Crimea; the remarks on Tatar cruelty reflect Russian hostility.
The fine print
How we know
mixed Part firsthand observation, part drawn from other sources.
mixed: edited firsthand journals and reports by Russian officers, naturalists, missionaries and merchants (Lepekhin, Sujew, Rytschkow, Sokolov, Sievers's Altai and Zunghar letters, Kamchatka and Aleutian voyages, Kalmyk pieces), plus Pallas's own essays
Research notes
Serial: authorship differs per article; several pieces are translations from Russian official reports. Catalogue volume numbering differs between the RSL, CIHM and Google copies.
Predecessor serial Nordische Beyträge (Büsching) not searched.
The principal German-language outlet for Siberian, Altai, Central Asian and Pacific field reports between Pallas's Reise and the 1800s; contains Johann Sievers's letters from the Altai and the Zunghar frontier (1790s), documents on the Kirgis-Kaisak (Kazakh) hordes and Kalmyks, and Pallas's commentary. Must be indexed piece by piece.