e whole was done so
quickly that I scarcely knew what had happened to me. The men held
me tightly by the arms, and my mouth was kept covered up until we
were so far from the caravan that the people belonging to it could
no longer have heard my cries.

Fortunately I was not frightened; I thought at once that these two
amiable Russians might, in their zeal, have taken me for a very
dangerous person, and have supposed they had made a very important
capture. When they uncovered my mouth, they commenced questioning
me as to my native country, name, etc. I understood enough Russian
to give them this information, but they were not satisfied with
that, and required to see my passport; I told them that they must
send for my portmanteau, and then I would show them that I had
permission to travel.

We came, at last, to the post-house, where I was taken into a room;
the Cossack placed himself with his musket under the open door, so
as to keep his eye continually on me; and the other man, who, from
his dark-green velvet facings, I supposed to be one of the Emperor's
officers, remained some time in the room. At the end of half an
hour, the post-master, or whoever he was, came to examine me, and to
hear an account of the achievements of my captors, who hastened,
with laughing countenances, to give a complete statement of what had
happened.

I was obliged to pass the night, under strict guard, upon a wooden
bench, without either a wrapper or a mantle with me, and suffering
from hunger and thirst. They neither gave me a coverlet nor a piece
of bread; and when I merely rose from the bench to walk up and down
the room, the Cossack rushed in immediately, seized my arms, and led
me back to the bench, telling me, at the same time, that I must
remain there quietly.

Towards morning they brought me my luggage, when I showed them my
papers, and was set at liberty. Instead, however, of apologizing
for having treated me in such a way, they laughed at me; and when I
came out into the court, every one pointed at me with their fingers,
and joined my gaolers in their laughter. Oh! you good Turks, Arabs,
Persians, Hindoos, or whatever else you may be called, such
treatment was never shown to me amongst you! How pleasantly have I
always taken leave of all your countries; how attentively I was
treated at the Persian frontiers, when I would not understand that
my passport was required, and here, in a Christian empire, how much
incivility h