Travel?. ^ 187 



betran to murmur ; and a general suspicion Fell on the captive 

 doctor, who was considered as an adept in the art of witcli- 

 craft. It was immediately resolved that the sorcerer should 

 be put to death: and this would certainly have been the 

 case had not the storm fortunately subsided ; so that the 

 supposed sorcerer escaped with a slight correction. 



As Mr. Bolschoi was considered as a man of a higher 

 order, he was not sold into Bucharia with the other cap- 

 tives, but kept in the steppe. During his captivity he served 

 as a common domestic, exposed to cold and hunger, and 

 obliged to perform all those menial services which are al- 

 lotted to the slaves of the Kirgisians. As he did not un- 

 derstand the language of his tyrants, he was beaten till he 

 was able to tell the names of the most necessary articles in 

 Kirgisian. He, however, did not long remain with one 

 master, but was transferred from one person to another till 

 he came into the service of the kan. VVith hmi he remained 

 three months, but was exposed to no less hardship thaa 

 under his former masters. The kan, however, in the hope 

 of obtaining for him a large ransom, carried him to the 

 Orenburg lines ; at the distance of ten versts from which 

 he gave him a rich Kirgisian dress, and in that state he waA 

 ransomed. 



As some incorrect accounts of the Russian embassy to 

 Ohina have been published in various journals, the followr 

 ing particulars, which appear to be correct, are taken from 

 an extract of a letter written by a naturalist who was des- 

 tined some time ago for a journey to Thibet, but who noMr 

 is to accompany the embassy : — " Count Potocki, well 

 known by his historical works, has been appointed the 

 chief of this important mission. The principal naturalist 

 is Mr. Adams, who accompanied count Mussin-Puschkin 

 on his tour to the Caucasian mountains ; Redofsky, for- 

 nierly botanical gardener to count Alexis Razumoi>ky, is 

 appointed physician, botanist^ and entomologist; Pansner, 

 mineralogist and geologue ; Schubert, astronomer ; and 

 Klaproth junior, philologue. The whole of the scientific 

 men, with their assistants, draughtsmen, artists, and a de- 

 tachment of fifty soldiers, were to set out on the 4th of 

 May: the embassy was to set off' somewhat later. The 

 route of the former was to be through Mosco, Nishney- 

 Novgorod, Rasan, Ekatcrinenbourg, and south f 'oin To- 

 bolsk to Omsk, Koiywan, Irkutsk, to Kiachta, the Russian 

 staple on the frontiers of Chinese Tartary. H( re they will 

 wait for the cmba^ssy, and for the Chinese Ta-tschiu3 who 



are- 



