The architecture of the Esthonian dwellings is fundamentally the same as that of other nations. Their materials are the same as those from which the Swede builds his clean, neat houses, and with which the Russians make their dwellings so gay, bright, and ornamental ; but devoid of all love of cleanliness, order, and beauty, the Esthonians make no attempt at improving their hovels. The beams of which they are built are left rough
HOUSES, COSTUME, AND MANNER OF LIFE. 385
and dirty as when first taken from the forests. They never raise their houses above the ground-floor, notwithstanding the dampness of the soil. Chimneys they have none, and their only windows are holes bored in the wall. The doors of their stoves are left open, and the smoke escapes partly through these holes, and partly through the straw roof. The dwellings of the Lettes seem comfortable compared to those of the Esthonians. Not only are there partitions in the cottages of the former to separate man from beast ; but for the different labours and necessities of the house, different rooms are provided. In the Esthonian houses, both men and beasts sleep, work, eat, drink, and live in the same room ; men, women, and children, the sick and the healthy, grunting pigs, barking dogs, sucking goats, bleating lambs, are all huddled together. The benches and tables look as if they had grown up by chance in the forests. Latches, locks, and door-handles are unknown.
On festive occasions the Esthonians strew their floors with fir-branches. Their lights are long, thin sticks of birchwood, called " pergeU' which they fasten into the niches of the walls. As in winter they often sit for months together in their smoke-filled rooms, spinning and weaving by the light of these pergel^ it is surprising that there remains a single pair of healthy Esthonian eyes. They are passionately fond of the Russian bath ; and accordingly, by the side of each cottage, they build bathing-houses, where, in the enjoyment of their favourite luxury, they forget once a week their cares, sorrows, and diseases. They do not live scattered over the country, like the Lettes, but always in straggling irregular villages. The appearance of an Esthonian village, is one of the most cheerless in the world. The houses stand crooked and rough near one another, generally half-fallen and decayed. Some are inhabited and others deserted. There are no gardens ; scarcely a trace of cultivation is to be seen ; only here and there a lonely fir or birch remains standing. Even in the height of spring and summer, scarcely a green herb or blade of grass is to be found near these desolate places.
The Esthonians dress for the greater part in black or dark -brown wool. The dark cloth wliich they weave is called vadmal ; and of this vadmal, are made their coats, cloaks, mantles, trousers, jackets, and petticoats Even their stockings and gloves are of black cotton, and their furs are of the same colour, which contrast strongly with their fair complexions.
Although so careless of every thing that can contribute to the comfort and beauty of their homes, yet they are attentive to personal appearance,
I made this sketch of Esthonian " life " from the impressions left upon my mind by what I had myself seen of the domestic arrangements of the people. A friend to whom 1 conmiimicated my manuscript, looked upon my description of the dirt and disorder of the houses as exaggerated, though he admitted that in its general features the picture was correct. He made the following reasonable remarks on the subject: " Many Esthonians weave very neat and clean linen and cloth ; how could they do tliis in the midst of such filth ? Nor are all the houses sunk in swamps and bogs. I remember to have seen many parts between Dorpat and Reval, on the Kassinor estate, for instance, — where the villages were really very pretty. There were plantations of hops Ixifore tlie houses, and cabbage-gardens enclosed in hedges of hemp, to keep the butterflies from the cabbages . • As I approached Keval I saw many houses that were kept in excellent order. The same will apply to the country between Reval and Narva. In all the towns of Esthonia, moreover, the peasants sell good clean butter ; how would it be possible for such butter to be manufactured ia the holes of abomination you descriix??" — I give the reader my friend's remarks along with the result of my own observations.
386 HOUSES, COSTUME, AND MANNER OF LIFE.
in their own way ; they are by no means devoid of vanity, and expend much on certain favourite pieces of finery.