The inhabitants chng fast to their old privilege, and maintain the strictest discipline in the island. A few years ago it happened that an offending countryman was banished from their island for his sins. The criminal wished to return, and complained to the governor of Riga that his countrymen withheld from him his rights as an inhabitant of Runoe. The governor commanded the islandere immediately to take him back, as every one who had not been formally condemned to imprisonment or transportation, had, by the laws of the empire, a right to live at his birthplace. But the inhabitants of Runoe refused to obey this command, and appealed to the imperial governor-general of the Baltic provinces. He, however, confinned the governor's decision, and gave the islanders to understand that the man had a right to return to Runoe, and that they must give up their ridiculous whims about peculiar laws, privileges, &c. They then sent a deputation to St. Petersburg to the emperor himself, and setting forth to the exalted authority that rules over the rights and safety of his subjects how their ancient privileges had been violated by the imperial governors, they most submissively implored His Imperial Majesty to command that their ancestral rights and hereditary simplicity of morals should be left them. They had, they said, many good and guiltless islanders among them, but one was a rogue, and unworthy to dwell at Runoe, and him they had banished ; if he was forced upon them the purity and moral worth of their community would suffer. They implored his Imperial Majesty to continue his gracious protection to his faithful subjects, and not to suffer them to be corrupted by the worthless and immoral. The Emperor granted these loyal entreaties, and the offender never retm'ned to Runoe.
In former times they made shorter work with criminals, and often sent them to keep company Tvith the seals. They were going to throw one of their earlier pastors into the sea because he was too fond of brandy. They liad often implored the High Consistorium at Riga, to send them another shepherd. Iheir prayers were unheard, so they sent word that if another minister was not sent them within fourteen days, and their present one taken away, they would throw him into the sea, where the toper might quench his thirst to his heart's content. The Consistorium was frightened, and complied with their wishes.
The pastor preaches to his congregation in Swedish, the native language of Runoe ; when at Riga, Pernou, Arensbm-g, &c., the islanders speak Plattdeutsch. They are very stout, strong-built men, and resemble the Swedish peasants. The complexion of the women is remarkably fair and blooming ; they are all light-haired, and there is not a single brunette on the island.
Their costume is quite Swedish. The men wear boots, a dignity to which the Lettes and Esthonians, their neighbom-s, never attain, except when stewards to Germans. The women weave a light gray cloth, of which they make short coats or tunics reaching to the knee. These coats are fastened at the middle by a broad leathern girdle, into which a large knife is generally stuck. A leathern pocket hangs at the side, and a broadbrinmied hat completes the dress.
Tlieir houses are almost always of stone. Wood is preferred in the north, but is a rare article at Runoe, as in the other islands of the Baltic. The houses at Runoe are neat, clean, and convenient ; and are never without chinmeys, as the Estlionian houses are. The inhabitants of Rimoe are not only distinguished by strict integrity and great purity of morals, but also by a high degi-ee of intelHgencc. There are on the island schools at which the childi-cn learn to read and write Swedish.
At length came the day when the Riga dihgence was to convey me yet further northward. The waiter of the hotel where I lodged bid me farewell with pathetic sorrow, in return for a small consideration of Triiikgeld; no other creature said adieu to the stranger. The posthorses stretched their long, sleepy legs, and the diligence set slowly forth, through the dark narrow streets of Riga. The houses of the city lay still silently sunk in deep sleep, their eyes, the windows, fast closed ; their lips, the doors, all shut ; their chimneys not yet breathing forth the morning smoke. Here and there a house had raised its sleepy eyelids, the windowshutters, or had yawned open its lips, from which its soul, the owner, was looking forth into the opening day.