Henry Danby Seymour spent nearly three years in the Caucasus, visiting the Crimea in 1844 and Southern Russia in 1844 and 1846. His experiences formed the basis for the present work, issued while Britain and her allies were at war with Russia in the Crimea; Seymour also draws on publications by other travellers to the region. Mary Ford had the book bound up with three letters sent to her by the author, and another letter from the author to the diplomat and traveller John Crawfurd. (Mary Ford’s prestigious collection of autographs was auctioned by Sotheby’s in December, 1999.)