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 different directions to investigate whatever 
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 Pallus Traduits de LAlle- 
mand. Paris, 1788. 
