VI INTRODUCTION. 



/ was staying at, should feel surprised that any one 

 at that siqjreme moment could even give thought to, 

 much less plan, a journey to the far East, lohere no- 

 intelligence of the great events of the future might 

 reach him. Feeling tolerably free^ however, of that 

 craving for the latest telegraphic news from the seat 

 of war, and tired of the monotonous life I ivas lead- 

 ing, although graciously admitted to the society of 

 those polished French, a few Russian notables, as far 

 as their high-sounding titles ivent, and tivo or three 

 agreeable English families, I had decided upon 

 spending the tvinter in those Eastern countries whose 

 shores are washed by the Indian and the Pacific- 

 Ocean. 



Having, in the meantime, p>rovided myself ivith the 

 necessary funds and letters of introduction, I ivas 

 soon ready to start, determined, beforehand, to get as 

 much pleasure, and gain as much information, as 

 j)Ossible, during a t?ip ivhich vjas to cap all my pre- 

 vious travels of many years past, during ivhich I had 

 canvassed, to my heart's content, the whole of Europe, 

 and the various countries abutting on the Mediter- 

 ranean. 



However, before setting out on my self-imposed 

 task of committing my experience to paper, I think it 

 necessary to state that, although most of the subjects 



