82 Russian Geographical Operations in Asia. [No. 2, 



a period of four years, the total amount of survey operations is 

 212,019 square verstes. 



These surveys embrace the following localities ; 1st, the two banks of 

 the river Yany Daria ; 2ndly, the left bank of the Syr-Daria, from 

 the fort Perowsky to Yany Kouigan, a destroyed fortress belonging 

 to the Khokans, and thence to the place called Baildyr Tougai ; 4thly, 

 the northern and southern slopes of the Karataou chain ; 5thly, the 

 mouths of the river Emba, and the Bay of the Caspian Sea at the 

 mouth of this river. Among the newly made maps, the principal are, 

 the map of the country of Orenbourg, on a scale of 50 verstes to 

 the inch ; a new map of Central Asia and the country of Orenbourg, 

 200 verstes to the inch ; and 24 sheets of a special map of this 

 country, on a scale of 10 verstes. 



The Society is continuing the publication and translation of the 7th 

 Vol. of Ritter's Geography of eastern Touran. M. Grigoriew is 

 compiling and making the necessary additions for completing this 

 work, and is carrying on his labours with such activity, that we may 

 look for the first part of his work during 1865. 



However short our account may seem of all the important geo- 

 graphical operations in Asia, it is nevertheless sufficient to show that 

 they embrace a large extent of this part of the world, and give rise to 

 questions of both local and general interest. The several expedi- 

 tions and explorations, in which our Society has taken part, form an 

 uninterrupted chain which extends along our Asiatic frontier, from 

 the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea ; from the valley of the Onssouri 

 and the peninsula of Corea to the Oust Ourt, Turkestan and Khoras- 

 san. With the exception of some conflicts with the Khokans, our 

 enterprises along the frontier have been of a strictly peaceful, scienti- 

 fic or commercial character, and our commerce has been considerably 

 developed. These friendly relations are strengthened by an event 

 of great importance which marks the past year, viz., the final pacifi- 

 cation of the Caucasus, the point of our Asiatic frontier that is 

 nearest to Europe. 



We must now pass on to the hydrographic operations executed in 

 the Caspian Sea, which have always greatly interested our Society. 



Last year, our honorable member, M. Ivachinzew, who is the chief 

 of these operations, read out to the Society, at a public meeting, 





