242 
culties the traveller experienced from the nature of the 
climate and of the roads, or rather the want of roads, and 
what is more to our purpose, they contain most important 
Botanical information. My readers will receive with 
pleasure Ledebour's account of the geographical distribu- 
. tion of vegetables in the regions he visited, and the preface 
likewise includes some general remarks, which cannot fail 
to prove interesting. 
: Our author, a German, I believe, by birth, had, from his 
earliest youth, entertained the strongest desire to visit the 
interior of the Russian dominions. In 1810, he became 
acquainted with the celebrated Pallas, who encouraged him . 
in these wishes, and furthered his views to the utmost of 
his power. Still it was not till 1818, that the Counsellor 
of State, Ledebour, made a journey through the Taurian 
Peninsula; but more with the hope of establishing his health 
than for the purposes of scientific information. 
Up to this period, very little, comparatively, was known 
of Asiatic Russia; and for what concerns its Natural History; 
we are indebted solely to the early travels of the Academi- 
cians. At those times, notwithstanding the most liberal 
assistance afforded by Government, they encountered many 
difficulties; in a great measure owing to the then unsettled 
state of the countries, which rendered some districts inac- 
cessible, and compelled travellers to confine themselves to 
the post roads, This was eminently the case with the 
Altaic chain of mountains, and the country situated to the 
south-west of it—the Soongarien Kirgisen Steppe, which 
extends to the northern boundary of the Chinese provinces, 
and which is interrupted, to the west, by lofty ridges. The 
elder Gmelin travelled along the foot of the Altaic Moun- 
oe did Falk. Pallas went as far as Tigerik, without, 
F ever, visiting the lofty mountains. Sievers only eX- 
p red the frontiers. Patrin also went to Tigerak. Nothing 
= known of Laxmann’s expedition. Schangin is the first 
| aod science who reached the lofty range of the Altai; 
eee scene to have gone exclusively in the character ofa 
rogus - Salessow travelled thither: he wasa physician, —— 
