You may know what countryman your isvoshtshik is, by the way in. which he treats his horses. The German is sure to be the most reasonable. He speaks little to any body, and to his horse not at all. His reins and his whip form ^he only medium of communication between the man and the animal. The Finlander sits a quiet picture of indifference, only now and then brings out a long drawling ^^Naw! nawT through his teeth, and from the varied iatonations of the one word, the horse is expected to divine the wishes of its master. The cabalistic word of the Lette is "iVbo«, nooaT but to this he has recourse only in moments of great emergency ; when, for instance, his horse manifests a disposition not to stir from the spot, or a piggish determination to go any way rather than the way he is wanted to go. The most restless of charioteers is the Pole, who wriggles incessantly about, and whistles, hisses and howls without intermission, while the shaking of his reins and the cracking of his whip are kept up with equal perseverance. The Russian coachman, on the other hand, seems to trust more to the persuasiveness of his own eloquence, than to any thing else. lie seldom uses his whip, and generally only knocks with it upon the foot-board of his sledge, by way of a gentle admonition to his steed, with whom meanwhile he keeps up a running colloquy, seldom giving him harder words than : "my brother," "my friend," "my little father," " my sweetheart," " my little white pigeon," &c. " Come, my pretty pigeon, make use of thy legs," he will say. " What now? art blind ? come be brisk ! Take care of that stone there. Dost not see it ? There, that's right. Bravo ! hop, hop, hop ! steady, boy, steady ! Now, what art turning thy head aside for ? Look out boldly before thee ! Huzza! Yukh, yukh!"
One very important thing to know is, that our isvoshtshik, for the period of the drive, has become our serf, and that if we are people to abuse our power, we may assume the lord and master with impunity. If we speak to him, he will never think of replying to us otherwise than bareheaded. Our scolding he receives with a cheerful and submissive smile, our commands with prompt obedience. If he is to drive faster, the intimation is conveyed to him in the way intimations are usually conveyed to slaves, namely, through the medium of his back, on which the hand of his temporary master writes down the order in a legible character. A Russian is born with a bridle round his neck, and every man whose hand is firm enough may seize the reins, and guide at his will the harnessed serf; but he whose hand is too weak to keep a tight hold of the reins, must be prepared to find more self-will about a Russian, than about the citizen of the freest nation in the universe.
These, however, are reflections too serious for our present purpose. Put your isvoshtshik into good humour by a kind word or two, and you'll have your pleasure out of the lad. Though he be but a boy, he looks briskly and boldly into the wild confusion of a St. Petersburg street, guides his horse dexterously through the throng of carriages, and keeps up a running fire of words, addressed now to his horse, and now to those he meets. ' Padyee, padyee T (Place, place!) he cries to the tedious waggon that bars his progress ; '-'• BeregissaV (Have a care !)to the inattentive pedestrian. Should the crowd not be great, he suits Ills words to the rank and character of those he addresses. "Old soldier, step aside there!" " 3Iy little mother, have a care!' To those who abuse him he is not slow in his replies, Avhlch are generally quick and cutting ; but though he talk and jest incessantly, nothing that passes in the street escapes lils attention. To one of his fraternity Avhom he meets, he points out any little deficiency m his harness, and to another who has not heard the call of a customer, he cries, " He, brother, art sleeping? folks call thee, and thou hearest not! attention, boy, attention !"
Though you speak no Russian, you will seldom find it difiicult to make yourself understood to your isvoshtshik, who is in general quite a cosmopolite and a man of the world, compared to those of his calling in other countries. He has had to deal with nearly all \Q: nations of Asia in his time, and individuals from every country in Europe have held converse with him. Men of all orders and degrees^ from the beggar to the emperor, have sat behind Ills back. He knows how to demean himself suitably to cacli, and has a smattering of every language. He knows a little Tartar and a little French ; can understand some German, and is not altogetlier