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COXE’S: TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 839
Pallas, with great reluétance, quitted Holland in November 1766; and on his return
to Berlin, he arranged his numerous materials for the public. But he had fcarcely
begun. to publith his Spicilegia Zoologica, before he was invited by the Emprefs Catha-
rine II. to accept the profefforfhip of natural hiftory in the Imperial Academy of Sci-
ences. Although in this inflance his father and relations again withheld their confent,
yet the author’s ardent zeal for his favourite fcience, and an irrefiftible defire to vifit
regions fo little known, and abounding in the productions of nature, induced him to
haften his departure for a country, where his curiofity was likely to be amply gratified.
He aeorteals quitted Berlin in June 1767, and arrived at Peterfburgh on the 10thof
Augult. ‘
He made his appearance among the Ruffians at a critical period. The Emprefs had
already ordered the Academy of Sciences to fend aftronomers into various parts of the
Ruffian empire, to obferve the tranfit of Venus over the fun’s difk, in 1769. Being
juft returned from a voyage down the Volga, and from vifiting the interior provinces
of European Ruffia, the enlightened fovereign had perceived the deficiency of the topo-
graphical accounts, and anticipated the advantage of deputing learned men to vilit the
diftant provinces of her extenfive dominions, with a view to enlarge the bounds of {cis
ence, and fpread the knowledge of ufeful arts among the natives. For this purpofe
Catharine had directed the Academy to fend, in company with the Aftronomers, the
moft able naturalifts and philofophers. Pallas having offered to accompany this expe-
dition, was charged with drawing up general inftrudtions for the naturalilts, and grati-
fied, with the choice of his affociates. To him was fubmitted, at his own requeft, the
conduct of the expedition to the eaft of the Volga, and towards the extreme parts of
Siberia; and he was belt calculated for that expedition, as the elder Gmelin, his pre-
curfor in thofe regions, had almoft entirely neglected zoology. Pallas employed the
winter in forming a fyftematic catalogue of the animals in the cabinet of the Academy ;
in putting into order the celebrated collection of profeflor Breyn of Dantzic, lately pur-
chafed by Prince Orlof; in preparing for the prefs fix numbers of his Spicilegia Zoolo-
gica, which were printed during his abfence under the direction of Dr. Martin, and in
forming the neceflary arrangements for his expedition.
At length, in June 1768, he quitted Peterfburgh, in company with Meflrs. Falk,
Lepekin, and Guldenftaedt, as his aflociates, paffed through Mofcow, Vlodimir, Kafi-
mof, Murom, Arfamas, to Cafan; and having examined great part of that province,
wintered at Simbirfk. From thence he departed in March, and penetrated: through
Samara, and Orenburgh, as far as Gurief, a {mall Ruffian fortrefs, fituated at the mouth
of the river Yaic, or Ural. There he examined the confines of Calmuc Tartary, and
the neighbouring fhores of the Cafpian; and returning through the province of Oren-
burgh, pafled the fecond winter at Ufa. After feveral expeditions in the adjacent re-
gions, he left Ufa on the 16th of May 1770, profecuted his route through the Uralian.
mountains to Catharinertburgh, vifited the mines, proceeded to Tcheliabinfk, a {mall
fortrefs in the government of Orenburgh, and in December made an excurfion as far
as Tobolfk.
The next year he was employed in traverfing the Altai Mountains, and tracing the
courfe of the Irtifh to Omfk and Kolyvan; where having infpected the celebrated filver
mines, he proceeded to Tomfk, and finifhed that year’s expedition at Krafnojarfk, a
town upon the Yniféi. In that place, fituated only in the fifty-fixth degree of north
latitude, the cold was fo intenfe, that the learned profeflor was witnefs to the natural
» congelation of quickfilyer, which curious phzznomenon he has minutely defcribed *.
* See Pallas Reife, P. ILL. p. 417—419 ; and atranflation of this remarkable paflage, in vol. i. p, 227
of Chemical Effays, by Dr. Watfon, Bithop of Landaff. Bensiy
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