Naturwissenschaftliche Reise durch die Kirgisensteppe nach Chiwa.

1848. St Petersburg: The Imperial Academy of Science, 1848. 8vo. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards, spine decorated and lettered in blind, blue-sprinkled edges; pp. [6 (series-title, title and dedication, versos blank)], xv, [1 (blank)], 379, [1 (blank)]; lithographic portrait frontispiece by H. Schmid after E. Hau, printed by K. Pohl, 3 lithographic plates after W. Pape et al., one double-page lithographic plan of Khiva, and one hand-coloured lithographic folding map; extremities a little rubbed and bumped, lightly browned, one plate trimmed touching caption, folding map lightly browned and with short, skilfully-repaired tears, internally a very good copy; provenance: August Nöschel (1809-1877, physicist, presentation inscription from the author on front free endpaper); annotations [?by Nöschel] on upper pastedown (ink) and text (pencil); Olga Ahnger (inkstamp on front free endpaper). First edition, published as volume XV of the Beiträge zur Kenntnis des Russischen Reiches und der angränzenden Länder Asiens. This very rare account of Khiva and the surrounding region was written by a member of Gregor Danilewsky's Russian Expedition of 1842. Basiner describes the progress of the expedition itself in the first part of the work, and the second half gives a description of the Khanate of Khiva. The book is rare, and this copy is remarkable for the authorial presentation inscription to August Nöschel. August Nöschel, who wrote on the Caucasus, examined the geology and hydrography of Orenburg and died on his last journey in Tiblissi. Cf. Yakushi (3rd ed.) B153 for the modern reprint only; no copy traced in book auction records.