Russia: By a Recent Traveller

First published in 1859, Russia: By a Recent Traveller was originally prompted by the Publication in the English press in December 1857 of the Imperial Proclamaton of the imminent emancipation of the Russian serfs, upon which Perason planned a visit to Russia in the summer of 1858 to gain first-hand impressions of the state of the country and information about the problems connected with the 'Great Reform'. The fruits of his journey were his 'Letters', published in fifteen successive numbers of the weekly Continental Review, between 22 September and 29 December 1858.

Letter 1: Present Aspect of Things. Letter 2: Emancipation no new Question. Letter 3: Connection of Freedom and Self-Dependence. Letter 4: Position of the Crown to the Nobles. Letter 5: National Character of the Russians. Letter 6: Great Number of the Officials. Letter 7: The Russian Character Oriental or European. Letter 8: Power of the Russian Church. Letter 9: Physiology of Russian Towns. Letter 10: Popular Literature. Letter 11: Ballads of the Russian People. Letter 12: A Russian Play. Letter 13: Literature a la mode. Letter 14: Cricassia. Letter 15: Strong Slavonic Sentiment of Nationality. Letter 16: Future Civilisation of Russia.