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



that have already appeared, a report of the astronomical and magnetic 

 operations is being actually printed. 



In speaking of the favourable results that have been obtained by the 

 activity of our Society, we have not had the least intention to attribute 

 it to one more than to another of its functionaries. Among us, 

 individuals change and succeed each other so rapidly, that we cannot 

 say the progress and strength of our institutions rest with them. It 

 is the general conditions of our activity, and the liberal spirit by 

 which they are pervaded, that unite and attract a constant succession 

 of individual labourers. Besides the actual operations of the Society 

 during the past 20 years, a vast amount of labour has been undertaken 

 voluntarily, and without remuneration, by members of the Society, 

 as well as by strangers, in private and in official capacities. Such 

 are the public lectures, which many of our colleagues have delivered 

 without any remuneration, and which have attracted large audiences 

 to our reception Halls. We need not mention, in this place, the 

 number of persons who, during the past and many preceding years, 

 have disinterestedly brought accounts of their labours to the Society. 

 It is doubtless through the liberal spirit which unites and animates 

 all our members and constitutes our strength, that this great amount 

 of work has been accomplished. Religiously to preserve this spirit 

 should be our first duty, and our most sacred obligation. 



Translation of a portion of the Journal of the Russian Geo- 

 graphical Society, Vol. iv. 1864. 



At a meeting of the Society on the 2nd and 14th December, 1864, 

 Rear Admiral Boutakof read a paper on the subject of his last explora- 

 tion on the Syr-Daria, between Fort Perovski and Baildyr-Tug* 

 (a locality in the Tashkened territory). In 1863 Rear Admire 

 Boutakof steamed 538 miles up the Syr-Daria, from Fort Perovski. 

 This officer has now explored, determined astronomically, and mappec 

 1003 miles of that river's course, beginning from its mouth. He 

 expresses his conviction that the river is navigable still higher up, 

 although, for want of fuel, he could not this time proceed further. The 

 general ascending direction of the river from Fort Perovski is towards 

 the south-east as far as the parallel of 43° of latitude ; thence it is 

 directly to the south. Throughout the whole distance of 538 iniiesj 



