VI 



details into the list of books at the end of this introduction , which would be super- 

 fluous for students of Chinese , but are necessary if we want to enable others to form 

 an idea about the credit our sources raay deserve. The translations of Chinese 

 extracts are printed in a larger type , to distinguish thera from our notes , for which 

 smaller type has been used. 



Before finishing we want to avail ourselvcs of this occasion to present our best 

 thanks to His Excellency the General Vlangaly , late Envoy Extraordinary and Min- 

 ister Plenipotentiary of Russia in China, for the liberal way the valuable library of 

 the Russian Legation was placed at our disposal du ring our stay in Peking, by 

 which we were enabled to become acquainted with mauy of the works used in our 

 conrpilation ; to the Archimandrite Palladius , who not only gave us the benefit of his 

 extensive knowledge of Chinese literature , by indicatiug different sources where ma- 

 terials might be found , but who also presented us with a most valuable part of them, 

 which we would not have been able to procure otherwise ; and last , but not least, to 

 Dr. E. Brettschneider , of the Russian Legation in Peking , who , himself a labourer 

 in the same field, has greatly assisted us with his experience and guided our first 

 attempts. 



Batavia, March 6th, 1876. 



-"C 'S^è^n^i^pnr^- 



