As I drove over the waste, sandy, rain -flooded plain into the interior of Courland, my Jewish coachman, who diligently stopped to drink at nearly every " Krug" or pubhc-house on the way, offered me occasionally a dram of good Courland brandy, or a sandwich, or a fat well-smoked flounder, which he held by the tail, thrusting it into the window of the coach, or a fresh-baked, peppery, lard-cake, on a wooden plate. I was not, however, to be tempted, but bidding him regale on these dainties himself, drew back into the carriage, and wrapping myself in my travelling-cloak and my sulky humour, told him he might drive quickly or slowly^ I did not care which.
The first place we reached was an unimportant town, chiefly inhabited by Jews. In early times, that is, in the time of the knights — for the history of Corn-land is not divided, like that of the rest of Europe, into ancient, middle, and modern ages, but into Knightly, Ducal, and Russian times — in the early knightly times, then, it was a much more important place. A commander of the order resided at the castle, and the town had even a harbour on the sea-coast, and traded like Libau. These times are now past, the harbour is choked up with sand, there are no merchants except such as vend matches, snuff, and pepper ; and beside the ruins of the stately old castle, the chief magistrate of Grobin has built himself a neat httle wooden house.
The Russian government has done nothing for Grobln. The French, however, so much given to ridiculous eiTors and blunders in topography and geography, have done this little town the honour of exaggerating it into an important place ; for, in the year 1812, the despatches of Napoleon's generals enumerated among other triumphs, " the capture of the fortress of Grobin, the key to Courland and to the north." The place derives a little importance from its being situated near the juncture of two great roads ; firstly, that of Mitau, the principal road of Courland, which intersects the whole country, joining Libau, Mitau, and Riga ; — and secondly, the great Lithuanian road, which transports the produce of Western Lithuania to the sea.
My Jew informed me that the market of Grobin was not unimportant, that many different races, Lettes, Lithuanians, Gipsies, and Jews, always met there, and that the Shlakhtitzi, the petty nobility of Lithuania, enjoyed at the tribunal of Grobin, as in other towns of Courland, the privilege of the Carpet ; that is to say, when they are flogged, they are allowed a carpet to lie upon, a privilege to which peasants and gipsies cannot aspire.
As I leaned out of the window of the coach in passing through Grobin, I saw the Jewesses sitting before their doors. All wore their peculiar oriental costume. I also noticed that the wheels of the coach every now and then struck on the stones of an old pavement, which lay everywhere buried underneath the deep sandy mud.
We now left the great road, and drove into the interior of the country by a narrow by-way. I had received letters of introduction, in Germany, to a distinguished family, which I was now proceeding to visit. These Courland by-ways, leading from estate to estate, not from village to village, for in this country there are no villages — are generally execrable. Upon the whole, however, they are better than those of East Prussia, and many other German provinces. They are exceedingly narrow ; and on account of the frequent flooding of the whole country, they are raised like dykes, and the roads in consequence are generally called dams. I was told that for these excellent dykes, Courland was indebted to the zeal and watchful care of a former active and energetic governor.
We drove on rapidly, and reached in the evening the dwelling of the noble family whose acquaintance I was about to make. This estate was called Zierau. I shall not enlighten or entertain my reader, to wliom I appear only as a describer of nations and countries, and who therefore has only general observations on politics, morals, manners, customs, natural features, statistics, &c., to expect from me, by a description of the feelings which the ever-dear name of Zierau awakens in me ; but shall only recount to him such things as may excite a general, and in some measure a universal interest.
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Wliat I learnt, liow I lived there.
What hopes wore mine, what jos there Avere,
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Would take me quite too long confessing.