His tenantry celebrate his arrival by bringing him presents of eggs, fruit, pastry, &c. The Tatar proprietor, accustomed to reside in the country, shuns with equal care a sojourn in the town, where his expences so much exceed his customary frugality, and his intermixture with society is so much, and unavoidably greater, than his peaceful habits are disposed to accord with. The English proprietor, in the midst of neighbours and dependants, yet feels a lonely sojourner there : his habits, totally different to all by which he is surrounded, he joins the festive group but as an observer ; his heart partakes not in the church festival, nor in that outward pomp, which ill accords with the pure and simple worship of that Spirit who requires to be worshipped in spirit and in truth : he sees with pain how much time is wasted without any laudable pursuit, or any object that can invigorate either mind or body ; and he cannot fail to feel regret at observing the strictness which marks the refraining from work on the birthday of some inconsiderable saint, while that which God so mercifully has appointed as a day of universal rest, is in every sense abused. Throughout the continent of Russia, so far from the Sabbath being considered as a day peculiarly set apart for religious worship, it is one of , more than usual bustle : in all the large towns the Sunday market is much the largest; and the early part of the day is therefore occupied by family arrangements, and the evening devoted to balls or the theatre. Thus the Englishman, whose character is perhaps composed of materials that do not easily assimilate with foreign matter, finds, whatever be the number of his acquaintance, that he has few friends.
From what has been premised, it will readily be seen, that the routine of a country life amidst such a primitive race as the Tatars, though it wasoccasionally enlivened by visits to the towns, or neighbouring proprietors, or made interesting by the means of serving our poorer neighbours, yet could have little ofanecdote, while itafforded much of observation, and abundance ofemployment.
The moral character of the peasantry of the Crimea is exceedingly depraved and vicious ; and, excepting the Tatars, I never found it possible, by any good offices or kindness, to excite any attachment in them, that the sight of a glass of brandy would not instantly surmount; and amongst the servants we have had, from nearly every nation, there, a gross immorality and inveterate love of drunkenness, were almost invariably the leading traits.
The different modes bywhich they manifested their regret at the time ofmy leaving Karagoss, were thus evinced :
my Tatar neighbours were with me throughout the day previous tomy departure, either sitting silent in my room, or assisting in the arrangement for the journey ; but on the dayofmy departure fewcould see me; and when the children went to bid good bye to the women, they found them shut up, and really grieving. My two servants, one a Pole, the other a German, busily and attentively assisted me throughout the preceding day ; but when their duty was done, they took care to drown their sorrow in large libations of wine and brandy, which they had previously promised me they would not do. On the morning of my departure, they felt still more strongly the necessity ofrepeating that, which the preceding night had produced exhilaration ; and I fear, if not the ostensible, I was at least the nominal cause ofa repetition of the same offence the following evening: and well was it if the evil stopped here.
I conclude with noticing, that on being seated in the carnage, and ready to depart, I was presented by the Polish woman with a small loafof bread and some cheese, which she had sent to the market town to purchase for me ; she gave it with a particular injunction, that I should eat itmyself, and then Ishould not want bread upon the road. That I did not feel this want, however, I certainly owed to a more powerful charm than her little loaf, though I received it with a ready promise to purchase my good fortune by so accommodating a price.
RELATING TO THE CRIM TATARS.
HAVING resided from the beginning of the year 1816 until the month of March 1820, at the village of Karagoss, in the Crimea, I had daily opportunities of becoming acquainted with the manners of the Tatar inhabitants of that neighbourhood. Such of these as appeared to me most remarkable, I occasionally noted for the amusement of a friend in England, carefully committing to papermy observations as they successively arose.
The little collection thus made I now venture to offer to the public, nearly in the form in which it was originally composed.
Among numberless deficiencies and disqualifications of which I am conscious, I am induced to think that, as a resident and a female, I possessed advantages for acquiring information, superior to those of the passing traveller. Of these I have endeavoured to avail myself, and by confining my remarks as much as possible to subjects consistent with my own knowledge, and of which I may be considered a competent witness, I am willing to hope that I have secured to my unconnected sketches the only merit to which they pretend the recommendation of truth.