before the Geographical Society, May 27,1867. 19 
has established an entirely new and well-protected route between 
Europe and China, far to the north of that followed by trav- 
ellers and merchants in the middle ages, which was from the 
south end of the Caspian. 
ch commodities by land and river communications through 
Central Asia ; and so long as the line of such commerce 
tween them is separated, as it now is, from British India and 
its dependencies by mountainous, sterile and snowy regions, 
impassible by modern armies, there never can be the smallest 
ground of jealousy on the part of Britian. 
On this head I was much gratified, at our very last meeting, 
in listening to the able memoir of Captain Sherard nm 
the actual state of Chinese Tartary, an eno 
has become, through the relaxation of the Chinese hold, “no 
as from the commentators on his memoir, that, instead of any 
apprehension being entertained regarding the late Russian ad- 
vances, it was generally felt that it would be greatly to the ad- 
vantage.of the natives, as well as to British power in India, 
that the influence of a civilized Christian nation should be ex- 
tended eastward over a region now becoming desolate through 
isgovernment and lawlessness, * 
se considerations lead me naturally to say a few words 
upon the geographical operations of our medallist Admiral 
Boutakoff, which have mainly led to the establishment of the 
new Russian line of eastern traffic, and which have*justly ob- 
tained for him a high reputation. The first of these enter- 
prises might almost be called the geographical discovery of the 
* The reader who wishes to become acquainted with the physical features and 
boundaries of the districts of Chinese Tartary, so well expounded by Capt. Sherard 
born, and of which he prepared alarge map, must consult Keith Johnston’s 5 
Library Map of Asia, published by Mr. Stanford, in the preparation of which, Mr. 
Trelawney Saunders took a leading part. Sa 
