Shortly afterwards he was placed in charge of an expedition to the Christians of Chaldaea, which was sent out by the Royal Geographical Society and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. He proceeded to Mesopotamia, through Asia Minor, the passes of Taurus, and Northern Syria, reaching Mosul in the spring of 1840. During the summer he explored the Kurdistan mountains and visited the lake of Urimiyeh in Persian territory, returning through Greater Armenia, and reaching Constantinople late in 1840. The expedition proved more tedious than had been anticipated; the funds for its support were exhausted, and Ainsworth was left to find his way home at his own expense. In 1842 he published an account of the expedition entitled 'Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Chaldsea, and Armenia,' London, 2 vols. 12mo. Two years later, in 1844, he produced his masterpiece, the 'Travels in the Track of the Ten Thousand Greeks,' London, 8vo, a geographical and descriptive account of the expedition of Cyrus and of the retreat of his Greek mercenaries after the death of the Persian prince. In 1854 he furnished a geographical commentary to accompany the translation of Xenophon's 'Anabasis' by John Selby Watson [q. v.], which was issued in Bohn's 'Classical Library,' and was republished in 1894 as one of Sir John Lubbock's 'Hundred Books.'
After his return to England in 1841 Ainsworth settled at Hammersmith, and assisted his cousin, William Harrison Ainsworth, in the conduct of several magazines, including 'Ainsworth's,' 'Bentley's Miscellany,' and the 'New Monthly.' In 1871 he succeeded his cousin as editor of the 'New Monthly Magazine,' and continued in that post until 1879. For some years he acted as honorary secretary to the Syro-Egyptian Society, founded in 1844, and he was concerned with various endeavours to promote the adoption of the Euphrates and Tigris valleys route to India, with which Chesney's expedition had been connected. He was one of the founders of the West London Hospital, and its honorary treasurer until his death at 11 Wolverton Gardens, Hammersmith, on 27 Nov. 1896. He was the last survivor of the original fellows of the newly formed Royal Geographical Society in 1830, was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries on 14 April 1853, and was also a corresponding member of several foreign societies. He married, and left a son and two daughters.
Besides the works already mentioned Ainsworth was the author of: 1. 'The Claims of the Christian Aborigines of the Turkish or Osmanlee Empire upon Civilised Nations,' London, 1843, 12mo. 2. 'All Round the World, an Illustrated Record of Travels, Voyages, and Adventures,' London, 1860-2, 4 vols. 4to. 3. 'Wanderings in every Clime,' London, 1872, 4to. 4. 'A Personal Narrative of the Euphrates Expedition,' London, 1888, 2 vols. 8vo. 5. 'The River Kariin, an Opening to British Commerce,' London, 1890, 8vo. He also translated Francois Auguste Marie Mignet's 'Antonio Perez and Philip II,' London, 1846, 8vo, and edited 'Lares and Penates' from the papers of William Burckhardt Barker [q. v.], London, 1853, 8vo.
[Geogr. Journ. 1897, ix. 98; Biograph, 1881, vi. 350-3; Athenæum, 1896, ii. 799; Times, 30 Nov. 1896; Mrs. Chesney and Mrs. O'Donnell's Life of General Chesney, ed. Stanley Lane-Poole, 1885.]
AIREY, Sir JAMES TALBOT (1812–1898), general, born on 6 Sept. 1812, was son of Lieutenant-general Sir George Airey [q. v.], by Catherine, sister of the second lord Talbot de Malahide. Richard, lord Airey [q. v.], was his brother. He was commissioned as ensign in the 30th foot on 11 Feb. 1830, became lieutenant on 3 May 1833, and exchanged to the 3rd buffs on 23 Aug. He was aide-de-camp to the governor of Madras from May 1834 to July 1837. On 26 Jan. 1841 he was appointed extra aide-de-camp to Major-general Elphinstone, and accompanied him to Afghanistan. In the latter part of that year he was present at the forcing of the Khoord Cabul pass, and the actions near Cabul, and on 21 Dec. he was given up of his own accord to Akbar Khan as a hostage. He was released with the other captives on 21 Sept. 1842, joined the force sent into Kohistan under Brigadier M'Caskill, and was present at the capture of Istalif. He was twice mentioned in despatches (12 Oct. 1841 and 30 Sept. 1842), and received the Afghan medal. He also received the bronze star for the Gwalior campaign of 1843, in which he took part with his regiment. He was promoted captain on 22 July 1842, and was aide-de-camp to the governor of Ceylon from April 1847 to March 1851. On 11 Nov. 1851 he became regimental major, and on 17 July 1854 he exchanged to the Coldstream guards as captain and lieutenant-colonel.
He served throughout the war in the Crimea with the light division as assistant quartermaster-general, being present at the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and the assault of the Redan, and he accompanied the ex-
