MEMOIR OF PALLAS. 39 



Retracing his steps, after having passed a second 

 winter at Krasnoyarsk, our traveller returned in 

 1770 to the Oural and the Caspian, visited Astra- 

 kan, and there studied the manners and characters 

 of the Indians, Buchares, and other inhabitants of 

 southern and central Asia who unite in composing 

 the extraordinary population of that city. He then 

 resorted to the Caucasus, the great nursery of the 

 white races of mankind, — as the mountains of Da- 

 aurie appear to be of those of a yellow hue. He 

 again passed the winter at the foot of that range 

 which separates the Volga from the Tanais, and 

 finally returned to Petersburg on the 30th of July, 

 after an absence of six years. During the time that 

 he himself pursued the principal route, he was in 

 the habit of despatching several of his young asso- 

 ciates in diflferent directions to investigate whatevei: 

 was important, and then carefully availed himself 

 of their observations. 



Five goodly quartos, with another of plates,* 

 were the immediate result of these travels. We say 

 immediate, because their publication did not wait 

 the return of the author, but, on the contrary, 

 according to the plan prescribed by Count Orlof, 

 president of the Academy, the MSS. were sent 

 every year to Petersburg, and were published as 

 soon as they arrived. In consequence probably of 

 this plan, very different estimates have been made of 



* See Appendix. Voyages de Pallas Traduits de L'^AIU' 

 mofid. Paris, 1738, 



