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perceive that he plunged a hollow cylinder CHAP. vertically into the river, causing a noise under water, like the bursting of an air-bubble: this might be heard from the shore, on either side.

nary Ap

Tcherkask.

The appearance of Tcherkask, viewed from Extraordithe river, affords a most novel spectacle. pearance of Although not so grand as Venice, yet it somewhat resembles that city. The entrance to it is by broad canals, intersecting it in all parts. On each side, wooden houses, built on piles, appear to float upon the water: to these the inhabitants pass in boats, or by narrow bridges only two planks wide, with posts and rails, forming a causeway to every quarter of the town. As we sailed into this city, we beheld the younger part of its inhabitants upon the Inhabihouse-tops, sitting upon the ridges of the sloping roofs, while their dogs were actually running about and barking in that extraordinary situation. During our approach, children leaped from the windows and doors, like so many frogs, into the water, and in an instant were seen swimming about our boat. Every thing seemed to announce an amphibious race: not a square inch of dry land could be seen in the midst of a very populous metropolis, at least one half of its citizens were in the water, and the other half in the air. Colonel Papof conducted us to

tants.

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Ataman of Tcherkask'.

CHAP. the house of a General, the principal officer and This person was a merchant, and very rich. His house, like all those we saw afterwards, was extremely neat, and elegantly furnished. Upon the walls of the apartments were French and English prints: among others, we noticed one, a very fine engraving, taken from a picture of more than common interest. It represented Rousseau, in his last moments, desiring his housekeeper to open the window, that he might once more. behold the face of Nature. The General, having requested that we would accept of his services while we remained in the city, appointed an officer to attend us, to provide us with sentinels, and whatsoever else might be deemed necessary.

The town of Tcherkask is divided into eleven stanitzas, and contains fifteen thousand inhabitants. The number of houses amounts to three thousand; allowing, upon the average, five persons to each. This, from all we could learn, is the true state of the population. Here

(1) "The internal government of Tcherkask is exercised, under the Ataman, by a Master of Police, and a Chancery of four persons. The Police Master, and, on some solemn occasions, the Ataman, is distinguished by a large staff, with a silver filigree head, resembling that of a drum-major." Heber's MS. Journal.

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are seven churches; four built of stone, and CHAP. three of wood. One of the latter description Public is for Tahtar worship, the Tahtars having a Buildings. stanitza in Tcherkask peculiar to their own people. Their religion is Mahomedan; and their church perfectly unadorned, being built with the utmost simplicity, and containing only a little recess, with a pulpit for the priest, and a gallery for boys and young men. The elders only enter the lower part of the building: this is covered with carpets; and, as in Turkey, no one is permitted to enter wearing boots or shoes. Nevertheless, upon this sacred floor they transact their commerce; for we found a Tahtar squatted, casting up his accounts, and writing, with all his commercial papers around him.

The first church erected in Tcherkask was founded by PETER THE GREAT as an inscription placed in the wall implies; but it has suffered frequently from fire, as indeed have all the other churches. It is now of stone; and contains a handsome screen, painted a bright green colour, and richly gilded, as at xay. They burn, moreover, green wax candles. In this church are kept what they call their regalia; applying this term to republican, rather Regalia. than to regal, ensigns of distinction. These

CHAP.
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were exhibited for our inspection, and consisted chiefly of presents from different sovereigns, standards, and embroidered flags bearing the Imperial arms; politic donations, serving as memorials, lest the Cossacks might forget to what empire they belonged. Here we saw lances, fashioned after the Asiatic manner, with tufts of fine camel's hair hanging from the point. Perhaps the origin of such an appendage may be referred to those barbarous periods when Oriental nations drank the blood of their enemies. An instrument of the same form has been already described; it is used by the Calmucks, for drinking brandy; they thrust a small lance with a tuft of camel's hair into the stills containing the spirit they procure from mare's milk, and squeeze the tuft into the palm of the hand, in order to drink what it has thus absorbed'. With these lances were also preserved silver-headed staves of their Atamans; illuminated and beautiful manuscripts, chiefly certificates of the brave conduct of their people in war, sent as testimonials by various sovereigns whom they had served; and a map of their territory, by the hand of the late Empress CATHERINE. The standards she presented to

(1) See p. 314 of this Volume.

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them are exceedingly costly. Great part of their CHAP. regalia was burned in one of the terrible conflagrations to which their town has been exposed; and among the things then lost, were some presents from PETER THE GREAT. There still remained one of his gifts, very characteristic of that extraordinary man. Among the rich staves of ebony, silver-headed, and magnificently adorned, which different sovereigns have sent to be borne by the Ataman, there appeared one which was destitute of any other ornament than what Nature had bestowed. Of this they were more proud than of all the rest. It was like the club we see usually represented with the Figure of Hercules; that is to say, of plain unadorned wood, although covered with sturdy knots, and calculated for the hands of a giant. In the same church was also suspended the singular picture of " The Virgin with the Bleeding Cheek," but with a remarkable addition to the usual representation. Below the figure of the Virgin, a hand appeared painted of the natural size, as if it had been cut off and fastened to the picture: a knife also was placed by the hand. They related, that a priest having struck a picture of the Virgin, wounded her in the cheek, which ever afterwards continued to bleed; but immediately the blow was made, the hand of