Chap, v.] Geography/. IL5 



work of the kind been found more rich in curious 

 information. Tartary lias been, during the same 

 time, partially explored by various travellers ^ the 

 Birman Empire, by Symmes ; Tibet, by Turner ; 

 Kamtschatka, by Lesseps, and others. — To the 

 above sources of information concerning different 

 parts of Asia may be added the Asiatic Society at 

 Calcutta, and particularly its late illustrious presi- 

 dent, sir William Jones, whose diligence and suc- 

 cess in investigating every avenue of knowledge, 

 relating to the arts, sciences, literature, govern- 

 ment, morals, and religion of the principal Eastern 

 empires, were only equalled by his exalted virtues, 

 and his stupendous general learning, which render 

 him a prodigy of the age in which he lived *. 



For much important information respecting the 

 geography of Siberia, we are indebted to Plenisner, 

 commander of Ochotsk, in the Russian service. 

 He received orders from the court of Russia to pro- 

 ceed- to Aiiadirsk, and to procure all possible in- 

 formation concerning the north-eastern parts of 

 Siberia, and the opposite continent. He returned 

 to Petersburg in 177^, and brought with him 

 several maps and charts of the north-eastern parts 

 of Siberia, which were considered as highly authen- 

 tic documents, and which were afterwards made use 

 of in the compilation of the General Map of Russia^ 

 published by the Academy of Petersburg in 177ti 

 Siberia has also been visited during the eighteen tJi 

 century, and valuable information concerning its 

 geography communicated by Bell;, d'Autcroche, 

 Pallas, and Gmelin. 



* See his Works, lately published with great splendour i.i 

 Q vols, 4to. See also the Asiatic Researches — passim. 



