The fifth of seven notebooks kept by William Bateson during his trip to the Aral Sea and the surrounding area. The entries are part field notes and part travel diary. They include descriptions of visits to salt lakes and water holes, of shells, crustaceans and other species observed, e.g. pp. [24v-27r[, [37r-43v] & [46r-69], and of his travels and experiences with the Kirghiz people.

Entries also include accounts of an earthquake (pp. [3v-4r] & [18v]), seeing a tarantula (pp. [7v-8r]), eating smoked horse meat (page [8r]), descriptions of a sacred boulder and cave (pp. [10v-11r]) and ancient graves (pp. [15v], [17v-18v]), lists of distances (pp. [4v-5r]) and of supplies needed (pp. [16v-17r]), an accident in which his horse broke his hydrometer (pp. [33v-34r]), and lists of accounts (pp. [44v-45v & 47r]).

A number of sketches are included, e.g. plants and aquatic animals (pp. [3v], [26v-27r], [52r-53r], [68v]) and people (pp. [67v-68r]). There are also many entries in the Kirghiz language, e.g. on pp. [2r-3r], [5v-7r], [8v-9r], etc. The entries are in pen and pencil, often in tiny handwriting, with annotations in red ink.