K occafionally hanging down, and appealing to us, who were
not accuftomed to iiich places of repofe, as if they were upon
the point of falling to the ground.
The number of perfons thus crouded into a fmall fpace,
and which fometimes amounted to twenty, added to the heat
of the ftove, rendered the room intolerably warm, and produced
a fuffocating fmell, which nothing but ufe enabled us
to. fupport. This inconvenience was ftill more difagreeable
in thole cottages which were not provided with chimnies,
when the fmoke, being confined in the room, loaded the at-
mofphere with additional impurities. I f we opened the
lattices during the night, in. order to relieve us from this op-
preffion by the admiffion of frefli air, fuch an influx of cold
wind rulhed into the room, that we preferred the heat and
effluvia to the keeimefs of thefe northern blafts..
In the midft of every room, hangs from the deling a vef-
fel of holy water, and a. lamp,, which- is lighted only on particular
occafions. Every houfe is provided with a pidture of
fome faint coarfely daubed upon wood, which frequently re-
fembles more a Galmuc idol, than the reprefentation of a
human head : to this the people pay the higheft marks of
veneration.. All the members of the family the moment they
rofe in the morning, and before they retired to fleep in the
evening, never omitted Handing before the faint; they
croffed themfelves during feveral- minutes upon the fides
and on the forehead ;. bowed very low, and fometimes even
proftrated themfelves on the ground.. Every peafant alfo,
upon entering the room, always paid his obeifar.ee to this
objedt of worfhip before he addreifed himfelf to the family.
The peafants, in their common intercourfe, are remarkably
polite to each other: they take off their cap at meeting
; bow ceremonioufly and frequently, and ufually exchange.
change a falute. , They accompany their ordinary difcourfe c h a p .
with much adtion and innumerable geftures, and are e x - , L .
ceedingly fervile in their expreflions of deference to their
fuperiors': in accofting a perfon of confequence, they, prof-
trate themfelves, and even touch the ground with their heads.
We were often flruck at receiving this kind of eaflern homage,
not only from beggars, but frequently from children,
and occafionally from forne of the peafants themfelves.
In the appearance of the common people, nothing fur-
prized us more than the enormous thicknefs o f their legs,,
which we at firft conceived to be their real dimenfions, until!
we were undeceived by the frequent exhibition of their bare
feet, and by being admitted to their toilets without the
leaft ceremony. The bulk, which created our aftoniihment,
proceeded from the vaft quantity of coverings with which
they fwaddle their legs in fummer, as well as in .winter.
Befide one or two. pair of thick worfted ftockings, they envelop
their legs with wrappers of co.arfe flannel or cloth,,
feveral feet in length ; and over thefe they frequently draw
a pair of boots, fo large as to receive their bulky contents
with the utmoft facility-
The peafants are well clothed, comfortably lodged, and
feem to enjoy plenty of wholefome food. Their rye-bread,
whofe blaeknefs at firft difgufts the eye,, and whofe fournefs,
the tafte. o f a delicate traveller, agrees very well with the appetite
; as I became reconciled to it from ufe, I found it at
all times no unpleafant morfel, and, when feafoned with
hunger, it was quite delicious : they render this bread more
palatable by fluffing it with onions and. groats, carrots or
green corn, and feafoning it with fweet oil. The other articles
of their food I have enumerated on a former occafion * -
•P..3SSia