X 
PREFACE. 
Russia, like Sweden, will possess a Hermeun, 
to illustrate the geography of the remote pro- 
vinces of her empire; especially as it is a maxim 
in her policy, to maintain the ignorance which 
prevails in Europe, concerning those parts of 
her dominions. On this account, the indecision, 
which must appear in the perusal of this volume, 
to characterize the description ol the country 
between Biroslaf and Odessa, admits of expla- 
nation. The geography of all that district is 
little known; the courses of the Dniester, the 
Bog, and the Dnieper, as w r ell as the latitude 
and soundings of the coast near their em- 
bouchures, have never been adequately sur- 
veyed. The only tolerable charts are preserved 
by the Russian Government, but sedulously 
secreted from the eyes of Europe. It has 
however fallen to the authors lot, to interfere, 
in some degree, with this part of its political 
system, by depositing within a. British Admi- 
ralty certain documents, which were a subse- 
quent acquisition, made during his residence in 
Odessa. These he conveyed from that country, 
at the hazard of his life. They are too volu- 
minous for insertion in the work, but may seive 
to facilitate the navigation ot the Russian coasts 
of the Black Sea, if ever the welfare of Great 
Britain should demand the presence of hei 
fleets in that part of the world. In making this 
