Having had some time at my disposal when I was in London, I visited the British Museum, and searched among the books and maps in the library for information about Transylvania. I thought that some foreknowledge of the country would almost certainly be important in dealing with a nobleman of that country.

I discovered that the district he told me about is in the extreme east of the country, just on the borders of three states, Transylvania, Moldavia, and Bukovina, in the middle of the Carpathian mountains; one of the wildest and least known parts of Europe.

I was not able to find any map or book giving the exact locality of Castle Dracula, as there are no maps of this country as good as our own Ordnance Survey Maps. I did find that Bistritz, the town named by Count Dracula, is a fairly well-known place. I shall write some of my notes about this town, as they may refresh my memory later when I talk about my travels with Mina.

There are four distinct nationalities in Transylvania : Saxons in the South, and mixed with them the Wallachs, who are the descendants of the Dacians; Magyars in the West, and Szekelys in the East and North.

Vocabulary:

At my disposal: Which I could use for myself
Foreknowledge: Knowing in advance, before something happens
Dealing: Having to do things (such as business) with
Locality: Position, location
Ordnance Survey Maps: Very detailed maps of the British countryside
Descendants: Children of the children's children
Dacians: An ancient people of South-east Europe