XII. CHAP. belonging to the Cossacks of Tcherkask. As we drew nearer the river, the steppes were entirely alive with swarms of the beautiful little quadruped before described under the name of Súslic: some of these were white. Approaching Axay, numerous camps of Calmucks appeared in every direction, over all the country around the town. Some of their tents were pitched close to the place. Others, more distant, covered the lofty eminences above the Don. CAPITAL OF THE DON COSSACKS. Arrival at Axay-Public Entry-Reception by the Don THE Postmaster of Tuslovskaia met us, as CHAP. XIII. XIII. Arrival at Axay. Public Entry. CHAP. knowledge, passed us upon the road, and given very absurd notice to the inhabitants, that a great General from England was upon the road to the town. A party of Cossack cavalry, armed with very long lances, came out to meet us, and, joining our escort, took their station in the van. The Postmaster, with his drawn sabre, rode bare-headed by the carriage-side; and in this conspicuous manner we made our entry. As the annual inundation of the Don had laid the streets of Tcherkask under water, its Chancery had been removed to this place, and almost all the principal families were in Axay. We found the inhabitants waiting our arrival, and the Cossack officers drawn out to witness it. The Ataman of Axay came to us immediately; and we took care to undeceive him with regard to our supposed generalship. Reception seemed to make no alteration, either in the respect paid to us, or the welcome they were disposed to give. Every possible attention and politeness were manifested. We expressed an inclination to proceed as far as Tcherkask the same evening. The Ataman observed, that the day was far advanced; that the current of the Don, swoln by the inundation, was extremely rapid and turbulent; and that he could not undertake to be responsible for our safety, if we persisted in our determination. He had by the Don Cossacks. It XIII. already provided excellent quarters, in a spacious CHAP. and clean apartment, with numerous windows, a balcony commanding a view of the Don, and every protection that an host of saints, virgins, and bishops, whose pictures covered the walls, could afford. Their General was at his countryseat, ten miles from the town': an express was therefore sent to him, for his instructions concerning our future reception. In the mean time, sentinels were stationed at our carriage; and an officer, with Cossack soldiers, paraded constantly before our door. During the whole time we remained in their country, the same honours were paid to us; and although we frequently remonstrated against the confinement thus occasioned to the young officers, we never went out without finding the sentinels in waiting, and the officer at his post. The Ataman came frequently to offer his services; and the constant endeavour of the people seemed to be, who (1) "Most of the richer Cossacks have houses in Tcherkask, which they make their metropolis; but pass the greater part of their time in their farms, on the northern bank of the river. Platof, the Ataman, said he kept there two hundred brood mares. He had, however, no land in tillage, though he possessed a vineyard a little to the east of Axy. Of the wine produced from these vineyards, they vaunted greatly. The best always struck me as mixed with Greek wine, or raisins. The ordinary wines are very poor, and tasteless. Spirits are very cheap, and much drunk. Platof himself took a glass of brandy, with a spoonful of salt in it; as if brandy was hardly strong enough." Heber's MS. Journal. CHAP. should shew us the greatest degree of kindness. XIII. Hearing us complain of the inaccuracy of the Russian maps, they brought from their Chancery (without any of those degrading suspicions which had so often insulted us) their own accurate surveys of the country, and allowed us free access, at all times, to their most authentic documents. The secretaries of the Chancery were ultimately ordered by their General to copy for us a survey of the whole territory of the Don Cossacks. That we were instigated to accept of the offer by any other motive than a desire of adding to the public stock of geographical knowledge, may perhaps require no proof. The Procurator' employed by the Russian Government, however, thought otherwise; it being a maxim in the policy of that country, that "to enlighten, is to betray." This liberal intention of the hospitable Cossacks was therefore thwarted; although no menace of the Russian police can now prevent an acknowledgment, which would equally have been made if we had been enabled to communicate more interesting and valuable (1) "The Procureur (Procurator) is a kind of comptroller, or visitor; appointed to watch over the execution of the laws; to examine the decision of courts of justice; to visit the prisons; attend the executions, &c. He is generally a native of a different province from that wherein he is stationed. At Tcherkask, he is always a Russian, at least not a Cossack." Heber's Journal. |