X.

CHAP. at Newmarket, before descending into Serpuchof, there is a church-yard: here, among the graves and tombs, we saw several of the women of the country practising a custom which is purely Oriental; namely, that of visiting the sepulchres of friends long buried, bowing their heads to the ground, touching the graves with their foreheads, weeping aloud, and uttering short prayers. In this road the dress of the peasants changes more frequently than in other parts of Russia; and it is remarkable, that, although the habits of the women be so various in the different provinces, those of the men, are the same throughout the empire.

Serpuchof.

Serpuchof is a handsome little tòwn, upon the river Nara. It contains a citadel, inclosed by a strong rampart; and has a Weywode, with his Chancery. In the market we observed some shops solely appropriated to the sale of labhas, or Russian sandals: these were before descriped, as constructed of birch or linden-bark'.

Some

(1) See p. 209. According to Mr. Heber, the Linden, or Lime-tree, affords the bark used for these sandals. "This practice of making shoes of linden-bark is very destructive to the trees, as a man will wear out twenty or thirty pairs of sandals in a year. The Lime-tree, of which these shoes are made, is a very valuable plant, owing to the construction of mats from its bark, which form a very considerable article of exportation. It is scarce in the western provinces; but in the eastern very plentiful; and it flourishes as high as Archangel."

Heber's MS. Journal.

authors have asserted that each peasant made his own. Formerly this might have been the case; and perhaps in the interior it is so now. Such shops, however, prove that the rudest and the most antient kind of sandal in the world, which is common to man in a state of nature, and roaming his primeval forests, is even now an article of commerce.

and Extor

At every station upon the route there is an Insolence officer, who is called Potchetilione, to superintend tion. the post, and to see that travellers are regularly supplied with horses. Some of these men, however, will not furnish horses without a bribe, even when the Imperial order has been produced. We experienced some delay at Serpuchof, from a person of this description. Our order directed, that if horses were not found at the post-house, the officer on duty should procure others from the peasants. Being told there were no horses, the author went into the office, to enforce this order. As he entered, the Potchetilione commanded him to take off his hat: and having asked for what reason he was to remain bareheaded in that place; What, are you blind," exclaimed the superintendant, in a tone of great insolence, "that you do not see the EMPEROR's

66

(2) See the Vignette to this Chapter.

X.

CHAP. portrait' upon the wall? It is a face to make Englishmen tremble." The author endeavoured to answer him in his own way, saying, "The Emperor, truly! If he knew how shamefully you have slandered his countenance by that vile representation, your head would come off sooner than my hat." Finding his gasconade had not succeeded, he caused it to be intimated, that he wanted a rouble. We could hardly credit what we heard; and should have been ashamed to offer it, if he had not afterwards told us so himself. Horses now came quick enough, and half-a-dozen fine speeches into the bargain.

River Oka.

About a verst from this town we crossed the Oka, by a ferry. This river falls into the Volga at Kolomna. It is a noble piece of water, almost as broad as the Thames, and well stocked with fish. We had been detained so long at Serpuchof, that evening was coming on when we arrived upon its banks. Peasants were seated in groupes around different fires, singing, and boiling their fish upon the shore. Innumerable frogs, whose croaking may be heard to a great distance

(1) Copies of the EMPEROR'S Portrait, for which see the Vignette to the First Chapter, were sent, by order of PAUL, to all public offices of his empire. Some of those pictures were executed in a most wretched manner. All persons, however, were ordered to stand bareheaded before them, as if in the despot's presence. The peasants fell prostrate, and offered their adoration, as before their BOGH.

during the night, overpowering the melody of nightingales in Russia as well as in Denmark, joined the loud chorus; while the moon, full and splendid, rose over this fine scene.

of

Upon the south side of the river stood a small wooden hut: at this our driver desired to stop for a little quass. Having acquired a relish for this Scythian beverage, we followed him into the hut; but were astonished to find, instead quass, five or six hogsheads full of brandy; and this they were retailing and drawing off, as our tapsters draw beer. We could not learn where they found customers for so great a consumption, but supposed they might be derived from the traffic upon the river: yet they assured us that such brandy-huts were found in every village, and that all of them were equally well stocked,

vody.

We arrived late the same night at Celo Zavody, Celo Zaand waited there until sun-rise. In all the villages and towns, from Moscow to Woronetz, as in other parts of Russia, are seen boys, girls, and sometimes even old men, playing with the small joint-bones of a sheep. This game is Antient called dills by our English peasants. It is of very remote antiquity; and it may be observed. beautifully represented upon the Grecian terra

Games.

X.

CHAP. cotta vases; particularly upon a fine one belonging to the Collection of the late Sir William Hamilton, where a female figure appears most gracefully delineated, kneeling upon one knee, with her right arm extended, the palm downwards, and such small bones ranged along the back of her hand and arm. She seems in the act of throwing them up, in order to catch them. In this manner the Russians play the game. But they have another method, corresponding with our game of marbles, and which probably afforded the origin both of marbles and of nine-pins: it consists in placing several larger bones, in a row, upon the ground; a contest ensuing, who shall beat them all down with another bone from a given distance, in the smallest number of throws.

It is a pleasing sight to see the young villagers return in the evening from their labour. They move slowly up the village, with flowers in their hats, singing a kind of hymn. In these carols, each person bears a separate part; and by the exactness of the Russians in observing time and tune, the effect is very fine. Vegetation had been rapid, in the short interval of our journey from Moscow; but in the garlands of the peasants, and among the plants found near the road, we observed only the earliest