This is an 1873 Ney Elias map of western Mongolia. Although not specifically described as such, this map and the Elias expedition were most likely British reconnaissance related to 'The Great Game'. This map was drawn by Elias after his 1872 expedition through the region. A thin red line follows his progress from Beijing (Peking), China, across the Gobi Desert to Bisk in Russia, where he arrived on January 4th, 1873. Elias marks each day's progress along his route and labels Uliassutai, the largest settlement he encountered. The pink shading around Elias's route highlights the limits of the surveys conducted by Elias during the expedition. Karakorum, which Elias refers to as the 'ancient Tartar capital', is marked in two places, suggesting ambugity over its actual location. The map traces the Great Wall along the bottom border, with the wall and the rivers leading from Lake Alak, Lake Tsui-yan, and Lake Sobi breaking the map's bottom border. Numerous lakes of varying sizes appear throughout.

The Expedition and the Survey

Elias left Beijing in July 1872 accompanied by a Chinese servant and traveled almost 2,500 miles across the Gobi Desert to the Russian border and then continued another 2,300 miles to Nizhny Novgorod. Along the way, he made astronomical measurements and other scientific observations. The locations of his readings are marked here with his initial (E). Other expedition routes are also traced, and geographical locations recorded by these individuals marked with their initials. A profile view of Elias's route appears along the bottom border.

International Boundaries

Three international boundaries are delineated on the map using shading. Chinese territory, in the lower right corner, is shaded purple. Russian territory is marked by the green line along the top portion of the map, and the yellow on the lower right highlights 'Dominions of Yakoob Beg,' the Uzbek adventurer and ruler of Yettishar (Kashgaria). The white territory, through which Elias traveled, is disputed territory that had been overrun by the Tungani Rebels led by Yaqub Beg.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by Ney Elias, engraved by the firm founded by William and Alexander Keith Johnston, and published by the Royal Geographical Society in 1873. An example is part of the collection at Princeton University. An empty OCLC reference exists for this map, suggesting that a former cooperative member created it.