This book is the result of the author’s personal observations, experiences, and impressions gained during his long wanderings through the mountains and forests of Manchuria. It only slightly lifts the veil hiding from the eyes of a cultured person an interesting world full of mysterious romance and charm. This world, now slowly passing away, has been preserved in its untouched purity wherever pristine virgin forests still stand—untouched by human hands—and wild deserts extend for hundreds of kilometers. With the advance of culture into the region, the areas of these forests shrink and the wonderful primordial nature disappears, along with the unique original world that today has become a relic remnant of the ancient epochs of human history.
Nikolay Apollonovich Baykov (November 29 (December 11), 1872, Kyiv — May 6, 1958, Brisbane, Australia) was a military man, writer, and naturalist. Over 300 works belong to the pen of N. Baykov; his name gained international recognition. He is considered the leading specialist on Manchurian tigers; Nikolay Baykov’s works have been translated into many European and Eastern languages.