224 Information regarding the Kirghiz Steppes and TurTcistan. [Aug. 
by an examination of it.” It then became indispensable by adhering to 
the measurements of the old Survey to make out a new Chart of the entire 
Sovereignty of Moscow and of all the districts of the kingdom.” It was 
thus that the Book of the Great Survey came to be compiled, a work which, 
as already has been said, is explanatory of the Chart. Both on the Chart 
and in the Book “ the standard of measurement is calculated in versts.” 
In the year 1G80 the Survey was made afresh, with such amplifications as 
the then condition of Russia required. Later on, that is, in the year 177 3, 
there was issued a work by M. N. I. Novikoff, entitled “ Ancient Russian 
Hydrography.” Again, in the year 1792 there appeared a description of the 
Survey of the year 1627. This was called “ Book to accompany the Great 
Survey.” In 1832, M. Yazikoff published first editions of both the two 
works last mentioned. Spasski, in his edition of 1846 (see note f, P- 223), 
availed himself not only of these publications, but also of eight manuscripts 
published during the close of the 17th century, i. e., after the year 1680. 
All existing differences between the printed editions and those in manu¬ 
script in relation to proper names, number of versts, omissions, additions, &c., 
he has noticed in the observations at foot of the text, whilst the explanations 
concerning the various subjects mentioned in the text have been inserted at 
the end of the book. 
Regarding the scale of measurements, Spasski is of opinion that the 
versts of the Great Survey do not always agree with the modern verst 
of 500 “ sajens,”* and that the former may in some cases measure as much 
as 700 and 1000 “ sajens,” and hence they should be corrected by copyists 
according to the more modern scale. When expressing this opinion, Spasski 
evidently knew nothing about the researches of Booktoff into the ancient 
Russian linear and itinerary-)- measurements, in which it is shewn that 
our verst in days of yore was made made up of 500 sajens of 3 arshins or 
7 feet. 
The information regarding the Kirghiz Steppes and the Country of 
Turkistan takes up nearly a whole chapter (pp. 69-76) of the Book of 
the Great Survey. On p. 158 we find “ hordes of nomad Cossacks, the 
land of Urgentch and the land of Boukhara mixed up with the river Yaik.” 
Intelligence of this kind is met with too in other passages of the book 
(p. 151 and 217, 218). Spasski has appended notes to such passages 
(see pp. 59-71, 172 and 218,219), and many other writers on Central 
Asia have also commented on several revelations of the book before us. 
But no one has yet thoroughly analyzed these revelations, and therefore 
many of them have escaped that attention which they have merited, whilst 
others again have either remained altogether unexplained or imperfectly 
* 7 English feet.— Translator. 
f Journal of the Minister of Home Affairs, 1844. No. 11. 
