6 
those of further Siberia. They abound most of all in the Lalchovian Isles and 
on the shores of the Frozen Sea. In digging wells or foundations for buildings 
there are every where discovered the entire skeletons of Elephants, which are very 
well preserved in the frozen soil of that country. The instances of these bones 
being found in the above mentioned regions, and their great numbers, are so 
frequently stated by Russian travellers, that it may be fairly contended that 
the number of Elephants now living on the globe is greatly inferior to the 
number of those whose bones are remaining in Siberia. 
It is particularly to be noticed, that in every climate and under every 
latitude, from the range of mountains dividing Asia, to the frozen shores of the 
Northern Ocean, Siberia abounds with Mammoth bones. The best fossil ivory 
is found in the countries near to the Arctic circle, and in the most eastern 
regions, which are much colder than the parts of Europe under the same latitude, 
and where the soil in their very short summer is thawed only at the surface, and 
in some years not at all. 
I recommend those of my readers who wish for more detailed accounts 
of the skeletons of Elephants and other large animals, such as the gigantic Buffalo 
and Rhinoceros found in different parts of Siberia, and particularly of the 
immense quantity of their bones, to consult the dissertations of the celebrated 
Pallas in the Nova Commentaria Petropolitana.” They are entitled Cf De 
Ossibus Siberiae Fossilibus,” and cc De Reliquiis animalium exoticorum per 
Asiam borealem repertis.” 
In the year 1S05, when the Russian expedition under Krusenstem 
returned for the third time to Kamschatka, Patapof, master of a Russian ship 
bringing victualling stores from Okhotsk, related that he had lately seen a Mam¬ 
moth Elephant dug up on the shores of the Frozen Ocean, clothed with a hairy 
skin ; and shewed, in confirmation of the fact, some liair three or four inches long 
of a reddish black colour, a little thicker than horse hair, which he had taken 
f rom the skin of the animal: this he gave to me, and I sent it to Professor 
Blumeubach. No further knowledge has been obtained on this subject, and 
unfortunately Patapof was not employed by any of our Societies to return to 
Siberia. Thus has this curious fact been consigned to oblivion; nor should 
we now possess any information respecting the carcase of the Mammoth, 
which forms more particularly the subject of this memoir, if the rumour of its 
discovery had not reached Air. Adams, a man of great ardour in pursuit of 
