Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Countries (Vol. 30)

Nearby is the Kama River original: 喀穆河 (Kamu he). It flows out from a mountain north of the Volok Mountains original: 佛落克嶺 (Foluoke ling); likely referring to the Valdai Hills or the portages of the northern heights into the southwest interior. From there, the Vyatka River original: 費牙忒喀河 (Feiyateka he) emerges, flowing northwest to join this river. It continues its course until it reaches the city of Kazan original: 喀山城 (Kashan cheng).

North of the mountains, the waters flow into the Volga River original: 佛兒格河 (Fo'erge he). The upper reaches of this river pass through a place called Khlynov original: 黑諾付 (Heinuofu); modern-day Kirov and Khuyari original: 俱黑亞里 (Juheiyali), traveling southeast to enter the main route to Kazan. There, it splits into another branch. To the north of here lies the capital where the King resides, Moscow original: 莫斯科 (Mosike). This "low-lying city" The text uses 窪城 (wa cheng), possibly describing the city's topography or its historical layout within a basin is only about twenty li Approx. 10 kilometers in extent; the terrain slopes downward and it is densely populated.

According to the Old Records, the Kama River is large, resembling the Selenga River original: 色楞格河 (Selengge he). Its waters are reddish in color and the current is swift. It seeps out from the northeast of the Volga, flowing southwest until it reaches the area opposite Kazan, where it merges into the Volga River.

From the northwestern mountains, the Volga flows southeast to the southeast of Kazan, where it receives the Kama River. It then flows for over three hundred li to the region of Simbirsk original: 西穆爾斯.科 (Ximu'ersi.ke); modern Ulyanovsk. From there, it turns southwest for another five hundred li*, entering the borders of the Torghut A nomadic Mongol group, also known as the Kalmyks, who migrated to the Volga region territory at Lake Tengis original: 騰吉思湖 (Tengjisi hu); the traditional Mongolian and Chinese name for the Caspian Sea near Birsk original: 必爾斯科雅 (Bi'ersikeya). This river is as large as the Ob River original: 鄂布河 (Ebu he); its waters are turbid and the current is slow. In Russia, it is named the Volga original: 佛兒格 (Fo'erge). In the Torghut nation, it is called the Edzil original: 厄濟爾 (Eji'er); the Kalmyk name for the Volga is "Idel".

While other rivers all flow north into the sea, this one alone flows from north to south and does not enter the Northern Sea The author is highlighting that the Volga drains into the landlocked Caspian Sea rather than the Arctic Ocean. Kazan, through which it passes, is one of the primary junctions of the region. Located over five hundred li southwest of Khlynov, the land there is flat with many fields producing rice, millet, wheat, and sorghum. There is the city of Ufa original: 大水烏城 (Dashuiwu cheng); literally "Great Water Crow City," a phonetic rendering of Ufa, which has eight gates and a circumference of eight li. It is home to over five thousand households. A Governor-General is stationed there to oversee the region. Over three hundred li to its south is the place named Simbirsk original: 西穆必爾斯科 (Simubi'ersike). Further southwest by over five hundred li is Saratov original: 薩拉托付 (Salatuofu).

From here southward lies the former nomadic grazing lands of the Torghuts.

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Lake Baikal

Located north of **Selenginsk** original: 楚庫柏興 (Chuku Baixing); a major trading post on the border of the Qing Empire and Russia