the air, cushioned
divans stood half-buried under the floating leaves; in fact,
everything combined to produce the most magical impression upon the
senses.

The owner of this fairy palace was unfortunately absent at a fete on
a neighbouring estate. I had letters to him, and should have been
glad to have made his acquaintance, as I had heard him spoken of
here, both by rich and poor, as a most noble, just and generous man.
I was, indeed, persuaded to wait his return, but I could not accept
this offer, as I should have had to wait eight days for the arrival
of the next steamer, and my time was already very limited.

In the neighbourhood of the castle is a Tartar village, of which
there are many in the Crimea. The houses are remarkable for their
flat earth roofs, which are more used by the inhabitants than the
interior of the huts; as the climate is mild and fine they pass the
whole day at their work on the roofs, and at night sleep there. The
dress of the men differs somewhat from that of the Russian peasants,
the women dress in the Oriental fashion, and have their faces
uncovered.

I never saw such admirably planted and clean vineyards as here. The
grapes are very sweet, and of a good flavour; the wine light and
good, and perfectly suited for making champagne, which indeed is
sometimes done. I was told that more than a hundred kinds of grapes
are grown in the gardens of Prince Woronzoff.

When I returned to Jalta, I was obliged to wait more than two hours,
as the gentlemen with whom I was to go on board had not yet finished
their carouse. At last, when they broke up, one of them, an officer
of the steamer, was so much intoxicated that he could not walk. Two
of his companions and the landlord dragged him to the shore. The
jolly-boat of the steamer was indeed there, but the sailors refused
to take us, as the jolly-boat was ordered for the captain. We were
obliged to hire a boat, for which each had to pay twenty kopecs
(8d.) The gentlemen knew that I did not speak Russian but they did
not think I partially understood the language. I, however,
overheard one of them say to the other "I have no change with me,
let us leave the woman to pay." Upon this the other turned round to
me, and said in French, "The share that you have to pay is twenty
silver kopecs." These were gentlemen who made pretensions to
honesty and honour.

29th September. Today we stopped at the strong and beautiful
fortress Sewastopol. T