save his life. He thus escaped, but he was pursued by twelve. or fourteen of the ferocious beasts into the middle of this village.

The peasants sometimes build a hut in a wood, and throw the carcases of dead horses and other animals near the spot to attract the wolves. They then go before nightfall, and ensconce themselves in the hut, in hopes of getting a shot through one of the loopholes which they leave in the walls of their castle. Unless, however, they build the hut very firmly and securely, they run considerable risk. I have been told a story of a man whose baits drew around him one night an unusual number of wolves. He kept firing away from his lurking-place, killing, wounding, and missing, till he had expended all his ammunition; but he was still surrounded by enemies, who, becoming infuriated, attacked his fortress, and tried to force an entrance. The garrison was unarmed, but the building was strong and resisted the assault. The wolves attempted to mine and work a way under the walls, but strong stakes, which had been providently driven in on every side, frustrated their endeavours so at length the besiegers changed their tactics, and converted the assault into a close blockade, hoping to starve out the enemy. Through whichever of his loopholes the poor man looked out, his eyes now encountered those of a wolf seated like a dog on his haunches, and keeping patient watch. When morning came he expected these sentinels to depart; but no, they were far too inveterate; some went away, but some still remained, and a close guard was kept all day. Throughout

the whole of the next night he was imprisoned; and it was not till the following day that he was released, either by the wolves getting tired of waiting, or by his friends at last coming to the rescue.

Bears, though they abound in Russia, are not to be met with, like wolves, in every part of the country. There are indeed numerous districts in which they are never heard of, for they shun cultivation and human dwellings, and they are only to be found in deep and extensive forests.

In some of those places where bears abound, there are men who make it their business in the winter to go in pursuit of them alone, and armed only with a strong knife and a spear;

with which implements, by courage and dexterity, they succeed in destroying these dangerous animals.

Many years ago an English or Scotch gentleman, who was settled in this country and who was a great sportsman, was shooting small game in the woods in the north of Russia, when he heard the snoring of an animal, and, looking round, after a little while he discovered the head of an enormous bear sleeping. Having only small shot in his gun, he retreated quietly, breaking the twigs as he went, in order that he might be able to find the spot again. He then made the best of his way to his temporary sporting residence, a small cottage not far off, and proceeded immediately to cast a few leaden balls. As soon as he was thus provided, he with some difficulty induced a peasant to accompany him, with an axe and a dog, to the spot where he had left the bear. The noise he made in approaching roused the animal, but, as it raised its head, the sportsman fired and killed it at a single shot. He called out in triumph to his attendant, who had kept at a respectful distance; but in the middle of his exultation a second bear came forth from behind the first. Taken as he was by surprise, he immediately fired his second barrel and broke the animal's leg; when, lo! from the same prolific lair, a third bear appeared on the scene. dog now came up and diverted its attention, while our hero took to his heels and ran away; retreating, nevertheless, only to reload his gun, and, as soon as he had accomplished this necessary operation, gallantly returning to the charge. He now killed with his first barrel the third bear, which was still engaged with the dog, and with his second the wounded animal; having thus, single-handed, killed three bears in four shots. The peasant, as soon as he saw that they were undeniably dead, ventured forward for the first time, and began most valiantly to hack with his axe at the fallen foe.

The

The large bear was the dam, and, as I am assured, an enormous beast, the two others being cubs of a year old, quite strong enough to be dangerous.

In the government of Novogorod, which abounds in forests and is much infested by these animals, the peasants have, they say, a most singular method of ridding themselves of their disagreeable neighbours.

They find the young ones in the spring, and, watching their opportunity, carry them off in the absence of their parents. They then fasten them on a raft by nailing their feet to it, and set them afloat on the river. The old bears hear their cries and follow the raft down the stream, till at length the young ones die, when their parents become furious and attack whatever they meet; but they are now at a considerable distance from their original haunts, so that those who were the authors of their misfortune are not those who suffer from their vengeance. I was told this story by a lady, who assured me she had herself seen a raft floating with the young bears dead upon it.

The Russians have some singular notions about bears. Among other things they say that a fashionable pair of bears will relieve themselves from the troubles of education by employing as a preceptor for their young ones a bear of inferior rank. They afford him protection, and in return he takes charge of the young family while their parents go out to seek food. The bear leader, who is called in Russian Pestoon, or Pedagogue, takes his pupils to play in the sun, on the outskirts of the wood, keeping watch himself, and warning them by a cry if any danger approaches. This very sensible custom appears not to have been as yet introduced among the Novogorod bears, since it would otherwise prove a great protection to their progeny against the cruelties practised upon them in that part of the country.

Besides bears and wolves, lynxes are tolerably numerous in the forests near Petersburg; they are, however, I believe, only destructive to hares.

There are no deer in most parts of Russia; but elks may be met with in the winter within fifty miles of Petersburg. It, however, requires the assistance of one or two hundred peasants, as well as considerable skill and management, to get the elks within shot. These noble animals stand about twenty hands high; but there is little except the pleasure of the pursuit to reward the sportsman, for the skin is coarse, and the flesh by no means a delicacy.

LETTER XIII.

Lawful periods for marriage Etiquette for
Parental authority - Anecdote of

marriages - Mariages de convenance·
a Moscow merchant and his son-in-law.

Rascazava, November 25th, 1837.

We had a wedding here a few days ago, and we went into the gallery of the church to witness the ceremony, which began at half-past seven in the evening and lasted nearly three-quarters of an hour. The bridegroom was a peasant of rather a superior class and in good circumstances, but still a serf; and the bride was the daughter of a Tamboff tradesman. In a case like this the wife becomes a slave, but she regains her liberty at her husband's death if she survives him.* The church was lighted up, and a small altar was placed in the middle. In front of the altar a carpet is always stretched, on which the couple stand, each holding a lighted taper during the ceremony. They walk up to it side by side, and it is supposed that whichever first sets foot on it will hereafter have the upper hand in the household. Towards the latter part of the ceremony, after a number of prayers and hymns, two crowns of gilt metal were brought to the priest, and he placed them, after making the sign of the cross and pronouncing a short blessing, on the heads of the pair whom he was marrying; he then joined their hands and led them three times round the altar. A cup filled with wine and water was then brought, of which the bride and bridegroom tasted each three times. After this a homily was read on the mutual duties of husband and wife. At the conclusion the priest desired the newly-married couple to kiss one another,

*This rule of law may remind us of a famous poetical dictum respecting a widow's parochial settlement in England:

"A woman having a settlement married a man with none.

The question was, he being dead, if what she had was gone.
Quoth Sir John Pratt, The settlement suspended did remain
Living the husband-he being dead, it doth revive again.'"

after which their friends all crowded round them with kisses and congratulations. The crowns, which had been taken off their heads, were now put on again, and they walked out of church preceded by the priest and a deacon bearing the cross, and by a boy carrying a consecrated image to be placed in their bedroom. The bride, who was rather a pretty girl and only seventeen, looked worn out with exhaustion, which was not surprising, as she had come from Tamboff that morning, a journey of six or seven hours over a bad road; while, according to the custom of her class on the occasion of their marriage, she had tasted no food all day.

The priest was to join the party at the bridal supper, and I was told that there would be further prayers and ceremonies in the house, and that the happy couple would sit all the evening with the crowns on their heads. This is a mark of distinction, as the poorer peasants do not take the crowns out of the church, having to pay an extra fee to the priest for the permission. At weddings in a higher sphere the crowns are never actually worn, but are held over the heads of the bride and bridegroom during the ceremony by their friends. No marriage can take place in the Greek church during any of the fasts, nor on any Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. The lawful periods are therefore limited to four days in the week, and that during less than half the year. The ceremony generally takes place in the evening, and the married couple, even in the higher classes, instead of setting off immediately together into retirement for a while, according to our English fashion, are expected to remain for some time with the parents of the lady. Both are required by rigorous etiquette to write beforehand to announce their approaching union to every relation they possess, and to take the earliest opportunity after their marriage of paying them a visit uninvited. This last is, indeed, an attention which is expected not only by relations, but also by friends, and often even by mere acquaintances. A lady at Moscow told me that she was taken in this manner, as a bride, into about seventy houses, the greater part of which she had never entered since. All general rules have exceptions, but it appears to me, from all that I have heard and can ascertain, that a large proportion