B?ii P^e> anc' glafs was in like manner circulated round the
— ,— 1 table. The healths of the great-duke, of the great-duchefs,
and of their fon prince Alexander were then fucceffively
toafted with the fame ceremonies; after which count
Panin arofe, and drinking a return of thanks to prince
Volkoniki as mafter of the feaft, was joined by the whole
company. When each toaft was named by the prince,
all the perfons at table got up out of refpeft, and remained
Handing while he drank. The reader will exclife
the mention of thefe particulars on this and other occafions;
as they may be deemed not unworthy of notice, becaufe they
are fometimes charafteriftics of national manners.
During our Hay at Mofcow we frequently- experienced the
hofpitality of count Alexey Orlof, who, in the laft war with
the Porte,' commanded the Ruffian fleet in the Archipelago,
and burnt the Turkifh armament in the bay of Tchefme, for
which adtion he Jias been honoured with the title of Tchef-
miniki. The cuftom of conferring an additional name for
the performance of lignal fervices to the country was, in imitation
of the Romans, familiarly praftifed by Conftantine
and his fucceflors the Greek emperors, who reigned at Con-
ftantinople. From that quarter it probably pafled to the
Ruffians, who in the earlier times of their hiftory- gave appellations
of this kind to fome of their illuftrious-leaders.
Thus the great-duke Alexander was called Neviki for his
vidlory over the Swedes near the Neva ; and his great-
grandfon Demetrius Ivanovitch was denominated Donfki for
his conqueft of the Tartars upon the banks of the Don.
This cuftom, which had long been difcontinued, has been
lately revived by the prefent emprefs. Accordingly Marihal
Romanzof received the denomination of Sudanoviki from
of Crimlki for his fuccefles in the Crimea, and count Orlof CHAP*
this of Tchefminiki from the adtion in the bay of Tchefme.
The houfe of count Orlof is fituated at the extremity of
one of the fuburbs, upon an elevated fpot, commanding a
fine view of the vaft city of Mofcow and the neighbouring
country.- A number of feparate buildings occupy a large
trad of ground. The offices, ftables, manege, and other
detached ftrudures, are entirely of brick; the foundation
and lower ftory of the dwelling-houfe are conftruded with
the fame materials, but the upper part is built with wood %
neatly painted of a green colour. We carried a letter of
recommendation from prince Stan iflaus Poniatowiki, the king
of Poland’s nephew, to the count, who received us with great
franknefs and cordiality, and detained us to dinner; he defired
us to lay afide all form ; adding, he was a plain man,
had a high efteem for theEnglifh nation, andihould behappy
to render us every fervice in his power during our ftay at Mofcow.
We had the pleafure of dining feveral times with him,
and always met with the molt polite reception. The count
feemedtolivein thetrue ftyle of old Ruffian hofpitality; kept
an open table, provided with a great variety of Greek wines,
which he brought with him from his expedition into the Archipelago.
One diffi, ferved on his plentiful board, muft be
mentioned as the moft delicious of the kind I ever tailed, and
which I think only inferior to our heft venifon; it was a
quarter of an Aftrachan iheep, remarkable for the quantity
and flavour of the fat +.
We
. * Wooden houfes are by many perfons f In the court-yard I obferved feve-
this country fuppofed to be warmer and ral flleep o f this fpecies ranging about tire
"We wholcfomc than thofe o f brick and ftables,.fo p e ffea iy tame that they fu'ffbred
th"» ^ hich is. .the r' afon' wh>' federal o f us to ftroke them. T h e y are almoit as
« Ruffian nobility chufc that part o f the large as fallow deer, but with much (horter
oule, which they inhabit thcmfclves, to le g s : they have iro Korns, long flowing ears,
V o t I ° f wood* and, inftead o f tails, a large bunch o f fat,
' O o fometimes