xviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



they may vary from the truth from fifty to one 

 hundred feet. The heights of the elevated plains 

 were ascertained by the boiling point, taking 

 always the mean of the height as shewn by two 

 thermometers. This method being liable to 

 much greater errors than the former, the results 

 can only be considered as approximations to the 

 truth. We had no mountain barometer. 



In obtaining the names of the villages and 

 other places, and writing them down from the 

 dictation, in most cases, of uneducated peasants, 

 it may easily be conceived we made many errors : 

 for these, under the circumstances, we hope due 

 allowance will be made. We have preferred 

 spelling the names according to the sounds of our 

 own alphabet, in preference to those of the 

 Italian, usually adopted by travellers in the East. 

 By doing so we hope to render the map more 

 practically useful. The engraved map is a fac- 

 simile of the manuscript document, thanks to the 

 interest taken in it by Mr. Arrowsmith. 



