PREFACE.
north; and borders upon the \\-arm climates of Persia, Japan, and
China, on the south. It occupies more than a seventh part of the
known continent, and ahnost a twenty-sixth part of the wliole
globe.
The authenticity of the present work is undoubted, being in fact
copied from a series of engravings begmi at Petersburg in 1776, and
finished in 17 79, under the care, and at the expense of C. W. JNIUller,
at the desire of the late Empress, to whom the work is dedicated.
The present work, like the original, is arranged in the following
order :—Plate I. to Plate XX. are descriptive of those nations, who
derive their origin from the Finns. Plates XXI. to XLII. describe
the diiFerent nations and hordes of Tartars within the empire.
Plates XLIII. to LIX. relate to the ^Mrious nations of the Samoj-eds,
to tliose who occupy the most eastern part of Siberia, and the islands
in the Eastern Ocean. AMiile Plate LX. and all that follow, include
the Kalmuk, the Mongoles, and some other smaller races.
The Russian work contains a few more plates than are in this, but
they are not in the least material, being merely duplicates of the
same figures in different attitudes. Two only are omitted, which can
be thought at all essential:—those of an Armenian and his wife.
And the Publisher was induced to do this for two reasons :—first, tlie
Armenian nation does not, in fact, belong to the Russian empire, and
there arc only a few of tliem that have migrated, and are settled in
Russia. Secondly, because the country of Armenia is, in reality, within
ihe Ottoman empire; and in his last work of this nature, namelj',
" The Costume of Turkej'," an Armenian has been, and as he presun)
es, more properly inti-oduced.
p r e f a c e ; .
The descriptions to the plates have been derived from the most
authentic sources, more particularly from Professor Milller's " Description
de toutes les Nations de I'Empire de Russie—Voyage en Sibcrie,
par D'Auteroche—Description de Kamtshatka, par i\i. Kracheninnikow
—Plescheef's Sur\'ey of the Russian Empire—Pallas's Travels through
the Southern Parts of Russia—Saur's Account of Commodore Billing's
Expedition to the Northern Parts of Russia," &c. &c. as well as
from information procured from several gentlemen, have been
resident for some time in different parts of that empire.
The Publisher has only to add, that he has exerted himself to make
this work equally splendid and interesting with those, he has before
produced; and trusts, that he shall meet with an equally liberal and
honourable patronage.
London, 18O3.