The decipherment of cuneiform inscriptions, and the study of Assyrian remains up to 1840--Ancient Iran and the Avesta--The survey of India and the study of Hindustani--The exploration and measurement of the Himalaya mountains--The Arabian Peninsula-- Syria and Palestine--Central Asia and Alexander von Humboldt--Pike at the sources of the Mississippi, Arkansas, and Red River--Major Long's two expeditions--General Cass--Schoolcraft at the sources of the Mississippi--The exploration of New Mexico--Archaeological expeditions in Central America--Scientific expeditions in Brazil-- Spix and Martin--Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied--D'Orbigny and American Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 SECOND PART. CHAPTER I. VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD, AND POLAR EXPEDITIONS. The Russian fur trade--Kruzenstern appointed to the command of an expedition--Noukha-Hiva--Nangasaki--Reconnaisance of the coast of Japan--Yezo--The Ainos--Saghalien--Return to Europe--Otto von Kotzebue--Stay at Easter Island--Penrhyn--The Radak Archipelago-- Return to Russia--Changes at Otaheite and the Sandwich Islands-- Beechey's Voyage--Easter Island--Pitcairn and the mutineers of the _Bounty_--The Paumoto Islands--Otaheite and the Sandwich Islands-- The Bonin Islands--Lutke--The Quebradas of Valparaiso--Holy week in Chili--New Archangel--The Kaloches--Ounalashka--The Caroline Archipelago--The canoes of the Caroline Islanders--Guam, a desert island--Beauty and happy situation of the Bonin Islands--The Tchouktchees: their manners and their conjurors--Return to Russia . 173 CHAPTER II. FRENCH CIRCUMNAVIGATORS. The journey of Freycinet--Rio de Janeiro and its gipsy inhabitants--The Cape and its wines--The Bay of Sharks--Stay at Timor--Ombay Island and its cannibal inhabitants--The Papuan Islands--The pile dwellings of the Alfoers--A dinner with the Governor of Guam--Description of the Marianne Islands and their inhabitants--Particulars concerning the Sandwich Islands--Port Jackson and New South Wales--Shipwreck in Berkeley Sound--The Falkland Islands--Return to France--The voyage of the _Coquille_ under the command of Duperrey--Martin-Vaz and Trinidad--The Island of St. Catherine--The independence of Brazil--Berkeley Sound and the remains of the _Uranie_--Stay at Conception--The civil war in Chili--The Araucanians--Discoveries in the Dangerous Archipelago-- Stay at Otaheite and New Ireland--The Papuans--Stay at Ualan--The Caroline Islands and their inhabitants--Scientific results of the expeditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220