particulars from that of the Chinese memoirs. In Bergmann I find the
original secession of the ancestors of Oubaché's Kalmuck horde from
China to Russia _is_ pushed back to 1616, just as in De Quincey. But,
though De Quincey keeps by Bergmann when he pleases, he takes
liberties with Bergmann too, intensifies Bergmann's story throughout,
and adds much to it for which there is little or no suggestion in
Bergmann. For example, the incident which De Quincey introduces with
such terrific effect as the closing catastrophe of the march of the
fugitive Kalmucks before their arrival on the Chinese frontier,--the
incident of their thirst-maddened rush into the waters of Lake Tengis,
and their wallow there in bloody struggle with their Bashkir
pursuers,--has no basis in Bergmann larger than a few slight and
rather matter-of-fact sentences. As Bergmann himself refers here and
there in his narrative to previous books, German or Russian, for his
authorities, it is just possible that De Quincey may have called some
of these to his aid for any intensification or expansion of Bergmann
he thought necessary. My impression, however, is that he did nothing
of the sort, but deputed any necessary increment of his Bergmann
materials to his own lively imagination."

* * * * *

1 1. The first three paragraphs of the essay, comprising the formal
introduction, are intentionally rather more picturesque and vivacious
in style than the ordinary narrative that follows. If these paragraphs
be read consecutively aloud, the student will surely feel the sweep
and power of De Quincey's eloquence. Attention may well be directed to
the author's own apparent interest in his subject because of its
appeal to the _imagination_ (p. 1, l. 4), of the _romantic
circumstances_ (p. 1, l. 11), of its _dramatic capabilities_ (p. 2, l.