THE chieftowns of the Crimea can boast accommodation forthe traveller much superior to that generally found in the interior of Russia ; since there are tracteers, or inns, kept by individuals of almost every nation that resort thither. It is true, it may be difficult to feast in aRussian town, during a fast of their church; the traveller who goes to a Russian inn, cannot hope for any thing better than sour soup, and hemp oil ; at a Greek or Bulgarian khan, he may have as much wine or brandy ashe chooses, and perhaps obtain bread, and olives, or caviarre ; the same may be said of the Armenian khans; at the French and Italian, or at the German inns, he may hope to fare better : at all events, they will not refuse, like the Jewish hostess, to boil the water for his tea, or cook such provision as the town affords ; much less will they deny him the use of plates, knives and forks, with which the Jewess will rarely supply him, lest prohibited food pass the lips of her guest, and then no water can wash that clean, which, by the law ofMoses, has beenthus defiled. These remarks, however, might mislead the expectation of the traveller on the south coast, for I speak of the interior towns only; and he who seeks to indulge his natural or classical taste by wandering through its beautiful scenery, will find in the cottage of the mountain Tatar, his best accommodation, a*nd such simple fare as they can give, freely afforded him. Their cordiality, however, maybe much heightened, if they find he is not a Cossack (their term for Russians in general), who for the most part being subaltern officers of the government, visit them on occasions, in themselves not gratifying, and are considered their worst paymasters.
This leads me to speak of the posts. Reuilly says, cc under the Khans, the posts of Tatary were free, as those princes defrayed all the expences occasioned by them. Since the domination of the Russians, they have been placed upon the same footing as all the other posts of the empire, and the Tatars are obliged to support them at their own expence." Upon this subject he is very incorrect. The traveller on the south coast is certainly furnished with horses and guide by the Tatars ; for which a regular passport is requisite, and a regular price is paid ; but the post-stations of the public roads of the Crimea, as those throughout all Russia, are rented by Russians, and a very considerable profit made upon them, partly by fair means, and partly by a species of finesse in which the many are well skilled.
I have given some previous account in my journey, of the posts of Russia; to that, the foliowing particulars, which I have since ascertained, may be added : government allow twelve hundred rubles per troic, or, set of three horses, per annum, besides the progone, or regular price paid by the traveller, for as many troics as the traffic upon the road make it necessary to keep at one station. For this, which certainly appears a very large sum, the renter furnishes the three horses, as aforesaid, one yemtchek, or driver, and a small four-wheeled cart, or carriage without springs, which he is bound to have always ready for the road, and for which he pays all regular, and contingent expences. He is besidesliable to furnish horses, free ofexpence, for the Imperial family, the senate, government estafettes, felt-yagers, and the post. Yet, though this seems a most liberal allowance, many of them think it necessary to increase it, by contriving to keep fewer horses than they contract for, and often compelling travellers to bribe them to obtain horses, unless they wear the insignia of rank, or travel with a courier's passport, which having upon it, the words "cazonie nadobnost" or " government service," they dare not disregard.
The rapidity of travelling in Russia, is very remarkable. The Emperor has been from Moscow to Petersburg!), a distance of 483 miles, or 728| versts, in 36 hours. Another instance may be given, from a highly respectable merchant at Odessa, of this style of travelling on the Continent : this gentleman went from Odessa to Calais in seventeen days. I have heard several other things of the same kind. The general officer who conveyed the intelligence of the fall of the fortress of Otchakoffon the Black Sea, to the Empress Catherine, accomplished the journeyof1200 miles infivedaysand nights. The post, however, does not travel swiftly ; it is often subject to detention in the district towns, and is fourteen days passing from Kaffa to Moscow, which is at the rate of only sixty-six miles per day.