英国国家图书馆藏清抄本《甘肃地理考》述略

A Brief Review of the Qing Dynasty Handwritten Copy of Gansu Geography Research in the Collection of the British Library

英国国家图书馆所藏清代抄本《甘肃地理考》在国内未见保存与流传,乃是孤本,具有重要的文献价值。通过该书所附英文信息,可知其先后由Luzre公司、大英博物馆、英国国家图书馆收藏。一如书名所示,该书专门就清代甘肃行省的地理情况进行研究考察,详细追溯甘肃行省的历史建置、山川原隰的相关情况、通甘之道的具体内容,层次分明,文笔雅驯。《甘肃地理考》也是目前可见的唯一一部专门以甘肃地理情况为研究对象的著作,作者借助实地考察,对甘肃地理作全新且可靠的记录,部分内容可以纠正前人之疏失,有重要的文献价值,是值得重视的区域地理学专著。

The Qing Dynasty handwritten copy of Gansu Geography Research in the collection of the British Library,never found in preservation or circulation within China,is the only existing copy with important literature value.From the English information attached to the book,we learn that it was successively collected by the Luzre company,the British Museum,and the British Library.As indicated by its name,the book is a speical investigation into the geography of Gansu in Qing Dynasty.With coherent,distinct and elegant manner of writing,it expatiates the establishment and developmment historiy of Gansu province,information of its mountains,rivers,plains,and wetlands,and specific information of routes into the province.Currently,Gansu Geography Research is the only work to specially focused on Gansu geographical information as the research subject.The author did field survey and made brand new and reliable records of Gansu geography,some of which can correct mistakes and omissions of previous scholars.The book is a remarkable work of regional geography that has important literature value.