vi TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. 



Poll' and ' Gyps Nivicola ' from his copy of Severt- 

 soff's work on the Fauna of Turkestan. Of the 

 remaining illustrations I am indebted for that of 

 the Rhubarb Plant to Professor Maximovitch, of 

 the Imperial Botanical Gardens of St. Petersburg ; 

 three are from photographs by Mr. J. Thomson, 

 whose splendid photographic albums of China and 

 its people are deservedly admired, and the remainder 

 are borrowed from the ' Tour du Monde.' 



In the following translation, Avhile preserving 

 the Author's meaning, I have endeavoured to re- 

 move from the path of the reader those stumbling- 

 blocks which might arise from following too closely 

 the original idiom ; in this way Russian versts are 

 rendered into English miles, Russian fathoms into 

 feet or yards, degrees of Centigrade into Fahrenheit, 

 old style dates into new style, &c. 



I take this opportunity of expressing my thanks 

 to Mr. Clements Markham, C.B., Hon. Sec. R.G.S., 

 for an introduction to the publishers of this work ; 

 to Mr. Henry Dresser, F.Z.S. ; to Dr. Glinther, of 

 the British Museum ; to Mr. Robert Harrison, of the 

 London Library ; to Mr. Edward Weller, for the care 

 and pains he has bestowed on the accompanying 

 map ; and to Mr. Cooper, who has executed the 

 engravings. 



It only remains to say a few words about the 

 Author. 



Lieut. -Col. Prejevalsky was born in the govern- 

 ment of Smolensk of parents belonging to the class of 

 landed gentry. He received his education at the gym- 



