off the water. We paffed through feveral wretched villages, CHAP.
ferried at Orfa over the Dnieper, there only a fmall river, >
went through Dubroffna, and arrived in the evening at Lady.
The country from Tolitzin to Lady is waving and fomewhat
hilly, abounds in foreft, and produces corn, millet, hemp,-
and flax. In the largeft villages we obferved fchools and
other buildings, conftructing at the expence of the emprefs,
and alfo churches with domes, intended for the Polifh. diffi-
dents of the Qreek fedi, and the Ruffians who chufe to fettle '
in the country.
Lady is lituated in the government of Smoleniko, and,
before the late difmemberment, was* one of the Ruffian
frontier towns : we took up our quarters at the poft-houfe,
where we procured a very comfortable apartment. Thefe
poft-houfes, which frequently occur in the principal highroads
of Ruffia, are moftly conftrudfed upon the fame plan,
and are very convenient for the accommodation of travellers:
they are large fquare wooden buildings, enclofing a fpacious
court-yard §3 in the center of the front is a range of apartments
intended for the reception of travellers, with a gateway
on each fide leading into the court-yard ; the remainder
of the front is appropriated to the ufe of the poft-mafter and
his fervants; the other three fides of the quadrangle are
divided into ftables and fheds for carriages, and large bams
for hay and corn. We were agreeably furprized to meet with,
in this remote place, fome Englilh ifrong beer ; and no lefs
pleafed to fee our fupper ferved up in diffies of our countryman
Wedgewood’s cream-coloured ware. The luxury of
clean ftraw for our beds was no fmall addition to thefe comforts.
,
Upon calling for our bill in the morning, we found our
ejiarge as reafonable as the entertainment was good. The
Vol. I. 1 i fadsfadtion