From Bronnitzi the road takes a south-easterly direction, and passes over extensive morasses and brushwood. About the middle of the stage, the wood becomes large and luxuriant. The first part of the road is planked, and, towards Zaiffova, paved with stones. Here for the first time, from St. Petersburg, we saw the country swelled into gentle hill and dale. The soil alters from a sandy loam, to red clay, which is tolerably well farmed and to a considerable extent. Along the road are two or three mean villages, nearer in resemblance to the wigwam of the Americans, than those of the Russians. Ziffova scarcely deserves to be mentioned; it has neither church, nor any object of distinction, beyond the meanest huts.

The implements of agriculture here are similar to those we had already seen; except the harrow, which is entirely made from the lateral branches of the fir tree, with its twigs serving as teeth, an evident sign that no improvement has taken place, since the earliest attention to agriculture was practised.

We next approached the town of Krestzi, containing about two thousand inhabitants. The road is loose, heavy sand, partly planked or paved with stones. In some places it is irregular, and becomes a broad track, similar to the sandy plains in Swedish Pomerania. The road crosses a small river, issuing from the lake Ilmen, on which is

erected a small sawmill, used in sawing the fir wood, which is here of considerable extent, on the west side of the road. On this stage were two small villages, almost in a state of ruin; they were surrounded by little gardens, well stocked with cabbage. This was the first instance of an attention to horticulture we had seen. A singular custom prevails here, among the labouring people; while engaged at their labour at a distance from home, they do not seek the shelter of their huts, but are contented to stretch themselves, on the bare ground, round a blazing fire, and pass the night in a true Scythian manner. A traveller is astonished at the frequency, and number of these flaming piles, they are generally placed at the side of the road; and on approaching them, his astonishment is increased at beholding the savage appearance of men wrapped up in sheep-skins, with their faces covered with the most frightful beards, and dimly seen through the rolling volumes of smoke. The people here are little removed from the grossest barbarism, and may almost be said to lead a wandering life. The entire face of the country is covered with natural forests, the abode of wild animals, and the scene of occasional robberies. While travelling this stage, in the evening, a large wolf sullenly stalked by the car

Krestzi is a considerable town situated on the banks of a small river. It is throughout built of wood, except at its south end, where a few brick houses appear neatly finished; also a very pretty painted church. The houses are filled with vermin and insects; particularly the cock-roach.

We again proceeded through a sandy country, and reached the bourg of Rachino, about half the size of the former town, but very irregularly built, and somewhat in a state of decay. A small village relieves the dreariness of the stage; yet this part of the country seems more populous than the rest. The women appear alone to cut down the grain, while the men are ploughing, harrowing and sowing, or perfectly idle. The women, while working in the fields, are dressed in long loose shifts, fastened at the elbow by wide sleeves. The skirts are fancifully embroidered with red thread; on the head is worn a silver laced bandeau, or a kerchief rolled round it; the hair is plaited behind, and allowed to hang down the back; after marriage it is tied up, and distinguishes the virgin from the matron. Others wear a blue woollen shift, trimmed down the front with a row of buttons.

The road, from the last stage, becomes more irregular, consisting of numerous broad tracks over deep, loose sand, with sudden declivities and as cents. In winter this stage must be both fatiguing

and dangerous. Few objects are seen, but an ir” regular appearance in the surface of the country; which loses its former flatness, and undulates into considerable bills and valleys, covered with wood or washed by spreading rivulets. Towards the south-east the country becomes somewhat bold and picturesque; the hills assume an irregular form, covered with wood, or broken up by falling streams of water. Cultivation is less practised, the soil changes to a greyish clay, considerably covered with loose stones.

During the last stage we observed several ancient sepulchral tumuli. A short distance from Rachi o we passed four, grouped together of considerable height and covered with trees.

The bourg of Jagelbitzi consists of two long streets, crossing each other at right angles, with a population of five hundred persons. The ground, on which the houses are built, is deeply rutted by the water, which in winter flows from the Valday hills, over these cuts wooden bridges are placed. At the south-end of the town is a tolerably large and shewy church, with a square steeple, between two domes painted green and red. The church yard, unlike the careful attentions usually paid to those sacred spots, is converted into a paddock for cattle.

The people here seem to have a peculiar character of knavery, and are more lawless than those nearer to the metropolis.

The person who drove our servants found an opportunity of picking their pockets; but he was luckily detected by a traveller passing at the moment. When challenged with the theft, he fell on his knees before the church, crossed himself repeatedly, and invoked the vengeance of all the saints, if he was guilty. However, on offering a reward of five roubles for the restoration of the stolen property, or in case of a refusal, threatening an application to the police, he was induced to confess that he had seen a pocket-book on the road, which he would endeavour to find. One of our servants accompanied him, and found that the careful Russ had secured the stolen property in a hole in the wall of his hut. He had not examined the contents of the book, and, when it was opened before him, and presented to his sight a considerable number of Russian notes, it drew from him an exclamation of astonishment, and as many oaths and prayers, that he had given us a wrong book! Nothing can excel the arch-roguery of a Russian. On the same stage another stole the cushion from the box of the carriage, and sold it to a third, from whom we were obliged to purchase it, on his assertion that it was the work of his own hands.

We could not but shudder at a most extraordinary instance of immorality, which is still allowed to take place among many of these igno