From The Embassy to the Zhungar Kontaisha Tsewan Rabtan by Artillery Captain Ivan Unkovskii and his Journal

for 1722-1724 October 19, 1722 We walked in the steppe on the southwest for 7 hours. . . There was even tillage. They say that Ayuki-khans son Sanjip and his people plowed fields in these places and in these places, the Kontaisha caught Sanjip and his people in a trick, or more precisely: Twenty-five years before this time, or in about 1700, Ayuki khans son Sanjip migrated away from his father Ayuki, into the steppe that went between the Kazak horde and the Bashkirs and moved with his livestock to the Irtysh River close to Yamyshev Salt [flats/depsot?] and, from there, turned back to the Kontainshas uluses and came to graze his livestock on the river Ilimiia, and wintered there. And with Sanjip were almost 15,000 tents and about 30,000people or more were counted in his camp; and as the Kontaisha realized that Sanjip was camped close by his own uluses, he sent to Sanjip a messenger, supposedly to ask that Sanjip come as a guest with several prominent people, among them, Sanjips sister. But Sanjip did not go to the Kontaisha, but sent his own messenger, whom he ordered to ask of the Kontaisha that he[the messenger] be granted the freedom to travel to the Dalai-Lama. And, supposedly, the Kontainshas people searched Sanjips messenger and found sewn into the collar of his robe the letter that Sanjap had written to the Dalai Lama, in which he supposedly the Dalai-Lama gave Sanjip permission to kill the Kontaisha. And for that, the Kontaisha detained Sanjips messenger and did so in secret, so that Sanjip knew nothing of it. At the same time, the Kontaisha more than once sent word to Sanjip, with great flattery, but deceptively, asking him to come visit him. However, Sanjip did not go. Then, the Kontaisha perpetrated a sly trick: he went himself to Sanjip, going, supposedly, for a meeting (and he gathered all of his great army, and hid them in the Altyn Imil Mountains and had them at the ready), and he took with him wine, sheep and enough other livestock to win over Sanjip and the notable people who were with him. And so, after two days, the Kontaisha claimed that he was willing to come to a new agreement with Sanjip to make Sanjip his son-in-law. But Sanjip did not see the Kontaishas trick. And in that way, by the Kontainshas trickery, Sanjip was taken captive together with all of his people. All of the people distributed among other ulus by the Kontaisha, and Sanjip and his wife were sent to Sanjips father Ayuki-Khan with ten of their people. [. . .]

November 5, 1722 On the road, Namyshka asked about the order of European states and how they received messengers. He was told, that they receive them with honor. Namyshka asked how I would give a charter of His Highness the Emperor to the Kontaisha. At that, I asked him what sort of customs they [the Zhungars] had. Namyshka said that messengers had come to the Kontaisha from the Chinese khan and from others, and the Kontainsha according to his custom would sit in his cap and he would not accept the charter himself. Rather, it would be accepted by a person close to him, who always brought him [the Kontaisha] his drinks on a tray and gives him his pipe with tobacco to smoke. With that, it was said to him that I, sent from the great emperor and that the charter I carried was written by His Highness himself by his own hand, and it had be given to the Kontaisha himself, standing and without his hat on his head. That is how Ayuka Khan [received Russian emissaries]. And so our conversation ended[. . .]

November 19, 1722 The abovementioned Sanji Zaisan came to negotiate about the accepting the remaining horses and gave away ten horses to be fed. Also, they temporarily accepted the camels and horses from our merchants and placed them under guard. On the same day, Burokorgan came to me. He asked: How many horses will be brought tomorrow? He was told that there would be 3 camels and 30 horses, on which the items would be carried. At that, Burokorgan after checking with the Zaisans, announced that it was necessary to ride to the Urga River without swords, and to lift the felt door of the Kontaishas tent ourselves, and that he would accept the charter sitting and wearing his cap. And at that, Burokurgan was told that I was sent to the Kontaisha by his Highness the Emperor not to be contrary, but to bring word of His Highnesss mercy. And it was evident that they were stalling for time; and as far as I was concerned, nothing had been said about such ceremonies, and because of that, I had no thoughts of creating any obstacles. [. . .] As we entered the first area, which was laid out with streets, and full of Kalmyks and Bukharans, they led us among them for nearly a verst, walking not in a straight line, but along the Urga River and as we rode with the Kontaisha looking toward the Ugra, to where the bazar was set. When we had not ridden more than one hundred sazhens, Kashka told us that we had to climb down from our horses. Until we reached this place, the charter was carried under the front of my kaftan. [. . .]

As we climbed down from our horses, at that moment a Kalmyk, one of the Kalmyks standing by the Kontaisha, dressed in the garments of a courier, said that all of the previous people sent to you were sent to tell you that I did not bring a knife with me, and to inform you of our custom that no one walks along the bank of the Urga with weapons, and even here it is agreed upon that by our regulations, in is dishonorable [to bring weapons]. However, as we do not want to create obstacles [to the embassy] and, you may leave your dirk [knife, dagger] on your saddle. And, in that way, with the charter in my hand, I proceeded.