The author spent some time during 1818/19 in St. Petersburg learning Russian before heading to Siberia. After more than two months travelling he and his two fellows reached Selenginsk, on the South West edge of Lake Baikal, where they remained “among the worshippers of the Grand Lama”, translating their texts into the local tongue. Having so done they each went their separate ways and the author “commenced a residence on the river Ona, where he is supposed still to remain.”
