book fordken into hill and dale; though ftill it exhibited rather
. -*1 .a fucceffion of waving furface, than any confiderable elevations.
On the 28th we arrived at the village of Gretkeva towards
the clofe of the evening, and imprudently proceeded on our
journey another ftage of eighteen miles : the evening fat
in exceedingly dark, cold, and rainy ; the road was uncommonly
bad, and we were in continual apprehenfions of being
overturned. The greateft danger, however, which we encountered,
was unknown to us until we arrived at the end
of the ilation : we were then informed by our fervants, that
we had adtually croffed a broad piece of water upon a wood®
bridge without railing, fo infirm that it almoft cracked under
the carriage, and fo narrow that one of the hind-wheels
was for an inftant abfolutely fufpended over the precipice beneath.
Our ufual good fortune brought us fafe between
twelve and one to a cottage at Moihaifk, where we found an
excellent ragout of beef and onions prepared for us by the
trufty fervant, who always preceded us, and provided our
lodging and fupper. I have little to fay of Moihaiik, as we
entered it at fo late an hour, and departed the next morning
by day-break. We changed horfes at the village of Selo-
Naro, and arrived early in the evening at Malo-a-Viafma,
embofomed in the foreft, and pleafantly fituated at the edge
of a fmall lake. This place was diftant only 24 miles from
Mofcow, where we were impatient to arrive; but we prudently
deferred our journey until the next morning, as we
did not chufe to tempt fortune again by expofing ourfelves
a fecond time to dangers in a dark and in an unknown
country.
The road for fome way before we came to Malo-a-Viafma»
and from thence to Mofcow, was for the whole fpace a broad
4 ftraight
ftraight avenue cut through the foreft. The trees, which c^ap.
compofed thefe vail plantations, fet by the hand of Nature,1— ,— '
were oaks, beech, mountain-aih, poplar, pines and firs,
mingled together in the moft wanton variety. The different
jhades of green, and the rich tints of the autumnal colours,
were inexpreffibly beautiful; while the fublime, but uniform
expanfe of foreft was occafionally relieved by recefles
of paftures and corn-fields. -
L 1 2 C I IA P.