The houses here are all made of wood, not sawn into planks as in England, but whole trees cut into equal lengths; they also make their fences ofwood, and in a most curious way : two stakes are driven into the groundjust far enough asunder to admit the thick end ofa pole; at the for cottages. The inner bark is the material of a very extensive manufacture of mats both for home and for foreign consumption. Of the rind of the young shoots, many millions of mat shoes are platted for the boors ; the wood is sawn into boards, wrought up into canoes, burnt into pot-ashes, and from the blossom of the linden the bees suck an excellent nourishment. Tooke's Survey, vol. iii. p. 368. distance of the length ofthe pole two more are driven, and again two in the middle : between these a certainnumber ofpoles are laid, so as to raise a fence the desired height.
Dunabourg is now only the remains of a once populous town : in the year 1810, the government pulled down 700 houses, with churches, monasteries, &c. to make a fortification here, which has since been destroyed by the French, who in their route to Moscow passed along this road, which is ofcourse rendered interesting by a remembrance of the events ofthat memorable campaign. A pretty church and a few miserable houses arenow only left in this once flourishing place :
generally speaking, the houses here are built with wood, but some few in the German style, with white brick ; these latter have a kind of barn attached to the house at each end, one end used as a stable and carriage-house, the other as the sleeping room of those yemtcheks who belong to, or frequent the house ; and this room, I am told, in no respect differs from the stable end, except that it is not fitted up with mangers.
From Diinabourg, when the repair ofour carriage was completed, we proceeded to Platshy. Here a battle was fought between the French and Russians, and the place and its inhabitants wore the aspect ofmost miserable poverty.
Late in the evening we arrived at Kriesloff, a very flourishing town, whichwe were desirous of seeing, and determined to rest there. Many soldiers being quartered in the town, it was so full we could get no accommodation at the tracteer; and having tried several places in vain, one of our party turning to the Russian servant, in a tone of impatience inquired where they should go next ; when two gentlemen, who were passing at the moment, seeing he was a stranger, begged to know what he sought ? on being told, " Lodging for his party," one of them immediately offered, and insisted upon our accepting such accommodation as his quarters could afford. This gentleman was Colonel of the regiment there, his name Turscy: it was impossible for any thing to exceed the hospitality with which we were treated, during four days that we remained there ; the Colonel giving up one room entirely to me, and shewing every attention that politeness could dictate.
The town of Kriesloff, and several miles in extent on each side of it, is the property of a Count Platow, a Polish nobleman. The senior Count was absent, but we saw three of his sons ; the eldest, in appearance and manners is one of the most elegant young men I ever saw ; and certainly does honour to the rank he holds in society. Our friend the Colonel, besides other orders, was decorated with the very handsome one of St.Anne, which is worn around the neck.
The town ofKriesloff is very beautifully situated, and would afford some most picturesque land*- scapes.
From Kriesloff we went to Druya, another very pretty small town ; the churches here are handsomely built, and there are often three, or four, or five in a large village : at Druya we counted five.
At Drissa we crossed an arm of the Dvina, called by the name of this town, through which it runs. As there are no bridges here, we went over in a ferry, or a floating-bridge, which is a flat platform, made large enough to hold two carriages, and the horses also ; a rope extended directly across the river, and running through grooves in two upright poles at each end of this platform, guides the ferry over ; by this also they pull, as the rivers are too deep in many parts to admit ofpushing with a sprit.