May! fiona o f S reat ceremony; and, as I was afterward told, b y
—, j Fedofitfch, could not have been purchafed for one hundred
and twenty roubles. At the fame time I had a prefent from
his daughter, o f a handfome fable muff.
We afterward dined w ith the Commander, who, in order
to let us fee as much o f the manners o f the inhabitants, and
o f the cuftoms o f the country, as our time wou ld permit,
invited the whole o f the better fort o f people in the village
to his houfe this evening. A ll the women appeared very
fplendidly drefied, after the Kamtfchadale fafhion. T he
wives o f Captain Shmaleff, and the other officers o f the g a rrifon,
were prettily drefied, h a lf in the Siberian, and h a lf
in the European m o d e ; and Marla me Behm, in order to
m a k e the ftronger contrail, had unpacked part o f her baggage,
and put on a rich European drefs. I w as much ilru ck
w ith the richnefs and variety o f the filks which the women,
wore, and the Angularity o f their habits. T he whole was
lik e fome enchanted fcene in the midft o f the wildelt and
moft dreary country in the world. Our entertainment again
confifted o f dancing and finging.
T h e next morning b e in g fixed for our departure, we re tired
early to our lodgings,, where the firft things we faw
were three travelling dreffes, made after the faffiion o f the
country, which the Major had provided fo r us, who came
h tmfe lf to our houfe foon after, to fee all our things packed
up, and properly taken care of. Indeed, what with his
liberal prefents, and the kindnefs o f Captain Shmaleff, and
many other individuals, w ho all begged to throw in their
mite, together with the ample ftock ofprovifions he had fenr
us for our journey, we had amaiTed a o inconfiderableloado£
baggage.
Early
Early in the morning, every thing b e in g ready fo r our JW*-
departure, we were invited to call on Madame Behm, in ' — .
our way to the boats, and take our leave o f her. Imprefied, Sundaj'16,
as o u r minds were, with fentiments o f the warmeil gratitude,
■ by the attentive, benevolent, and generous treatment-
w e had met with at Bolcheretfk, they were grea tly h eightened,
by the affedling fcene w hich pre fen tedfftfe lf to us, on
lea vin g our lodgings. A ll the foldiers and Coffacks, belongin
g to the garrifon, were drawn u p o n one hand, and the
male inhabitants o f the town, drefied out in their beft
clothes, on the other ; and, as foon as we came out o f the
houfe, the whole body o f the people joined in a melancholy
fong, which, the Major told us, it was ufual, in that country,
to ling on tak in g leave o f their friends. In this manner
we marched down to the Commander’s houfe, preceded
b y the drums and mufic o f the garrifon, where we were received
by Madame Behm, attended by the ladies, who w ere
drefied in lon g filk cloaks, lined with ve ry valuable furs o f
different colours, w h ich made a moft magnificent appearance.
After partaking o f fome refreihment, that was prepared
for us, we went down to the water-fide, accompanied
b y the ladies, who n ow joined the fong with the reft o f the
inhabitants ; and as foon as we had taken leave o f Madame
Behm, and affured her o f the grateful fenfe w e Ihould ever
retain o f the hofpitality o f Bolcheretfk, we found ourfelves
too-much affedted, not to haften into the boats with all the
expedition w e could. When we put off, the whole company
gave us three cheers, which we returned from the
b o at; and, as we were doubling a point, where for the laft
time we faw our friendly entertainers, they took their fare-
w e l in another cheer.
We