Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms: Volume 32

The Geography of Russia (Continued)

The source of the Verkhosensk original: 費喇郭薩牙西費喇 (Feilaguosayaxifeila). This likely refers to a frontier region or the Verkhosensk administrative area connects to the records in the History of Yuan The official history of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) regarding the Kyrgyz original: 吉里吉思 (Jiligisi) people. It is there that the Qian River original: 謙河 (Qian he); the upper Yenisei or Kem River flows northwest and empties into the Angara River. The Unified Records of the Empire The "Da Qing Yitong Zhi," the official geography of the Qing Dynasty considers the Angara and the Qian to be the same river, which contradicts the Summary of Waterways.

Detailed investigation shows that the Yenisei River original: 伊聶謝河 (Yiniexie he) emerges from the northwest of the city of Irkutsk and flows into the Angara. According to the "Examination of the Northern Borders of the Yuan Dynasty" The waters of the Yenisei and the Angara flow for over three thousand li A traditional unit of distance, roughly 500 meters until they reach the Yenisei settlement Likely Yeniseysk, where they gain the name Yenisei River. Its waters are even greater than those of the Angara. Its ultimate point of origin is unknown. It flows north through the Yenisei settlement and meets the Angara coming from the east, then turns northeast to flow into the Northern Sea The Arctic Ocean. From this point northward, the climate becomes increasingly cold as one approaches the shores of the Northern Sea.

The Ket River original: 揭的河 (Jiede he) passes for ten or more li through the place named Makovskoye original: 麻科斯科 (Makesike). It flows for two hundred and fifty li to Narym original: 那里穆 (Nalimu), where it enters the Ob River. Older records identify the Ket River as the "Jieti" (解梯) It is characterized by many winding bends, and the color of its water is reddish. There are four or five small settlements along its banks.

The Ob River original: 鄂布河 (Ebu he) follows the current from Makovskoye for approximately two thousand li. The river surface gradually widens, and the water color becomes increasingly white. The Ob emerges northwest of the Ket River, flowing for over two thousand five hundred li to Narym, where it receives the Ket. It then flows northwest to Tomsk original: 托穆斯科 (Tuomusike), where it receives the Tom River original: 托科河 (Tuoke he) coming from the southeast. At Narym, it receives the Ket again This likely refers to the complex confluence area and flows northwest for over two thousand li to the region of Samarovo original: 薩馬爾斯科 (Sama'ersike); modern Khanty-Mansiysk. There, it turns southwest and merges with the Irtysh River original: 厄爾齊斯河 (Ee'rqisi he). From this junction, it flows northwest once more into the Northern Sea. This river is even larger than the Yenisei, though its waters are turbid and its current is slow.

The Irtysh River contains many islands and sandbars. From this point northward, the terrain becomes increasingly flat, and the mountains are no longer very large.