| Note: | Two spellings, “Tunguse” and “Tunguze,” are used throughout the book for the same tribe. The caption of Illustrations #55, 58, 103, 144 differ from the captions given in the table and were not changed. |
OVERLAND
THROUGH ASIA.
PICTURES OF
SIBERIAN, CHINESE, AND TARTAR
LIFE.
TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES IN KAMCHATKA, SIBERIA, CHINA, MONGOLIA,CHINESE TARTARY, AND EUROPEAN RUSSIA, WITH FULL ACCOUNTSOF THE SIBERIAN EXILES, THEIR TREATMENT,CONDITION, AND MODE OF LIFE, A DESCRIPTIONOF THE AMOOR RIVER, ANDTHE SIBERIAN SHORES OF THEFROZEN OCEAN.
WITH AN APPROPRIATE MAP,
AND
NEARLY 200 ILLUSTRATIONS.
HARTFORD, CONN:
AMERICAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
F. 6. GILMAN & CO., CHICAGO, ILLS.; NETTLETON & CO., CINCINNATI, OHIO.
H. H. BANCROFT & CO., SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.
1871.
Fourteen years ago Major Perry McD. Collins traversed Northern Asia,and wrote an account, of his journey, entitled “A Voyage Down theAmoor.” With the exception of that volume no other work on this littleknown region has appeared from the pen of an American writer. In viewof this fact, the author of “Overland Through Asia” indulges the hopethat his book will not be considered a superfluous addition to theliterature of his country.
The journey herein recorded was undertaken partly as a pleasure trip,partly as a journalistic enterprise, and partly in the interest of thecompany that attempted to carry out the plans of Major Collins to makean electric connection between Europe and the United States by way ofAsia and Bering’s Straits. In the service of the Russo-AmericanTelegraph Company, it may not be improper to state that the author’sofficial duties were so few, and his pleasures so numerous, as toleave the kindest recollections of the many persons connected with theenterprise.
Portions of this book have appeared in Harper’s, Putnam’s, TheAtlantic, The Galaxy, and the Overland Monthlies, and in FrankLeslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. They have been received with suchfavor as to encourage their reproduction wherever they could beintroduced in the narrative of the journey. The largest part of thebook has been written from a carefully recorded journal, and is now inprint for the first time. The illustrations have been made fromphotographs and pencil sketches, and in all cases great care has beenexercised to represent correctly the costumes of the country. ToFrederick Whymper, Esq., artist of the Telegraph Expedition, and toAugust Hoffman, (Photographer,) of Irkutsk, Eastern Siberia, theauthor is specially indebted.
The orthography of geographical names is after the Russian model. Theauthor hopes it will not be difficult to convince his countrymen that