THE Volumewhich I now present to the Public, owes, in some measure, its existence to the favourable reception accorded to my former attempt. By the plan ofthatwork, I scrupulously confined myself to such notices as my experience enabled me to furnish respecting the Tatars of the Crimea alone, suppressing the information which I had likewise collected on the Manners and Customs of the other Inhabitants ofNew Russia.
These details, though perhaps not inferior in interest to those which I published, I was induced altogether to withhold, lest I should interfere with the intentions ofa friend, who, I had reason to believe, had directedhis thoughts to the same subject. That difficulty however has now not only been completely removed, but the kindness of the friend alluded to, has supplied me with much very important additional information, thus stamping a value on the present production, which it would otherwise have been far from possessing.
Imay now, therefore, venture to hope, without meriting the charge ofpresumption, thatthe following pages, which I have spared no pains to render accurate and impartial, will prove an acceptable present to the Public, particularly as whatever relates to Russia, and more especially to the Southern Provinces of that Empire, bears at this moment, from the circumstances of the time, a more than ordinary interest.
I have had an opportunity of obtaining a corrected statement of the population of particular towns, from the last census, which 1have subjoined : but of the correctness oftheformerin the aggregate, I am induced to feel increased certainty, from the opinion of a more competent judge than myself on that subject.
I have also revised and enlarged my "Notes on the Manners and Customs of the Crim Tatars," in order, by adding them to the present volume, to form a more complete whole.
It is highly gratifying to my feelings to state, that the indulgence which has been extended to that little work, has not been confined to my own country, since it has recently been honoured by the condescending approbation of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Alexander.
In committing myself once more to that liberality which I have experienced on a former occasion, I feel that I have derived from it additional confidence in the execution ofmy task, andan increased desire to be found worthy of it.
117, for Chap, II. read Chap. XI.>_ 130, for Chap. III. read Chap. XII. 140, for Chap, IV. read Chap, XIII.