ing inn to which the latter may be inhospitably consigned.

The etiquette of visiting, in general, is altogether different in this country and in England, With us, it is always considered the part of the person of higher rank, or of older standing in a society, to make the first advances in forming an acquaintance; whereas in Russia, it rests with the new comer to select his society among those to whom he is introduced, and he calls upon those whom he desires to know. I think, without prejudice, that the English custom is decidedly the better and more reasonable of the two, since here a stranger, and especially a foreigner, is often at a loss to decide whether his visit will be considered an intrusion, or his omission to pay it an act of ill-breeding.

Among our other guests were a lady and gentleman with a name very difficult to pronounce, and which I will therefore translate into literal English, and call them Mr. and Mrs. Longfield. Though they live thirty versts, or about three-and-twenty miles hence, they are looked upon as neighbours, and, in fact, they merely came to dinner, and went home again in the evening-with their footman, by-thebye, standing up behind the carriage, as if they were driving about town. This, however, it seems, is considered no hardship by a Russian servant, especially if the foot-board is upon springs: when they are tired of standing, they sit down with their back

to the carriage, and in this way they will travel any distance.

The Longfields, on taking leave, pressed us much to pay them a visit, which we accordingly did the following week, sending a messenger a day beforehand to announce our intention. As the distance was long, we set off about eleven o'clock, and traversed an open country, for the most part over unmade roads, like the tracks across an English common. In about two hours we descended a very steep hill, at the foot of which flowed the Volga: which is here ninety miles from the source, and already a fine stream about two hundred yards wide, with a rapid current deep and clear; it runs in a narrow valley, which it appears to have worn for itself through the surrounding plain. We crossed the celebrated river on a floating bridge, and after ascending the steep hill on its further bank, and gaining the level country, we soon found ourselves at the place of our destination, which stands on a fine elevated spot over the Volga. The windows were, however, turned away from the river, and presented no view but that of a formal old fashioned garden, filled with lime trees closely trimmed and planted, in straight lines on each side of the walks. After going round the garden we returned to the house, where we found a dejeuner set out in the drawing-room, consisting of caviare, cheese, &c., and, of course, liqueurs. This was tasted and dinner immediately

announced, it being now three o'clock. In the middle of dinner, some English bottled porter was handed round, and considerable amusement was excited by my declining the offered improvements of lemon and pounded sugar, which the Russians often drink with porter, and which our kind host had supposed indispensable to an Englishman. After dinner we took a short walk, and on our return found a dessert of fruit laid out in a pretty balcony filled with flowers, upon which the drawing-room windows opened. This was followed by music and singing, till, at halfpast six tea made its appearance, accompanied by ices; and immediately afterwards we took our departure, and got back to Krasnoe to supper at ten o'clock, having paid a visit of five hours, to accomplish which we had travelled nearly fifty miles with the same horses over very indifferent roads.

A week ago we were invited to a village fête, about fourteen miles hence, which was given by a relation of M-'s, in honour of his lady's jour de nom, that is the day of the saint after whom she is called. A Russsian never has more than one christian name, which must always be that of a saint; but, according to the Greek calendar, there are three hundred and sixty-five saints' days in the year, and few saints have an exclusive day to themselves, so that there is no lack of choice. We reached Troitska about one o'clock, and found in front of the house a long row of tables, at which all the peasants, with their wives

and children, had just finished dining; they had been well provided with beer, followed by a glass or two of spirits to each; and they were now assembled round the door of the house, shouting and singing with all their might. On the steps of the house were large baskets full of gingerbread, which the entertainer and his guests were throwing in every direction among the crowd, and the peasants, men and women, boys and girls, were scrambling for it with the utmost eagerness.

After the scrambling was over, we were entertained by a national dance, the execution of which had no great merit to boast, especially as some of the performers were drunk: the music was a monotonous ditty sung, or rather screeched, at the pitch of their voices by the performers themselves. We soon afterwards sat down to dinner, and the singing was continued under the windows by four or five pair of vigorous female lungs, during the whole time that we were at table.

The swing, that most necessary appendage to all Russian country festivities, which is seen in every village and in every gentleman's garden, was of course kept in full play. After dinner we found that the peasants had apparently got tired of amusing themselves, and had gone home to their houses. * About six o'clock we drove to see a neighbouring gentleman's garden, which was somewhat celebrated in the country; the proprietor received us most

civilly, and showed us over his garden, which was his hobby: it was large and well kept, but for the most part dull and sombre, being laid out chiefly in straight walks, entirely shaded over by trees, which, however, were old and of a considerable size, so as to impart a degree of respectability to the place. The garden was decorated by large formally shaped ponds, at one end was a stew filled with pike, and close by, a tawdry summer-house of painted wood.

We returned to Troitska to tea, and drove home in the cool of the evening, or rather in the dark.

On the following day (August 5) a degree of heat set in, such as I never remember to have felt before. Its continuance was fortunately not very long, for on the 8th (the day before yesterday) we had a thunderstorm which cooled the air, and the heat is now moderated. During the three days, however, of its intensity, it was impossible to stir out of the house till seven o'clock in the evening; I had a head-ache during the whole time, and sat all day absolutely gasping for breath, unable to find a cool spot. It was well for us that the days were not at the longest, and that the power of the sun was therefore somewhat diminished. The summer has been considered on the whole as a very cold one in this country, where heat, such as we have just experienced, sometimes lasts uninterruptedly for weeks, bringing all the crops rapidly to perfection, and compensating by its intensity for the shortness of a Russian summer.