PLATE LXXL
AN UNMARRIED FEMALE OF WALDAI.
T H E town of W'aldai is in the government of Novogorod, and lies on
the road between Novogorod-Veliki, or Great Novogorod, and Moscow.
It was peopled by the Poles, MÌIO were taken prisoners in the reign
of Alexis Michaelovitch. The inhabitants, particularly the women, are
cheerful and handsome, and retain even to this day something of their
original manners and accent.—The country around Waldai is very beautiful,
and abounds with lakes, many of which contain islands, partially
covered with wood. The largest of these lakes is the lake of Waldai,
of which the town commands a very pleasing view. It is about
twenty-five miles in circumference, and contains several islands, on
one of which is the monastery of Iverskoi, founded in i054 by the
Patriarch Nicon. Its numerous spires rise in the midst of surrounding
trees, and present themselves in various picturesque points of view.
The Waldai hills are not of any considerable height ; there are, however,
none so elevated in this part of the country. Tiiey separate the
waters that How towards the Caspian sea, from those which proceed
towards the Baltic.
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