ost
disagreeable noise. In addition to this, imagine the rattling of
the carriage, and the shouting of the driver, who is always in great
activity urging on the poor animals, and it may be easily understood
that, as is often the case, the carriage arrives at the station
without the travellers.

The division of the stations is very irregular, varying from
fourteen to thirty wersti. Between the second and third stations, I
passed over a very short space of ground, where I found a kind of
lava, exactly resembling the beautiful, brilliant, glassy lava of
Iceland (black agate, also called obsidian), which was stated to be
found in that island only. The second stage led through a newly-
erected Russian village, extending to Lake Liman.

August 27th. Today I had another evidence of the pleasure of
travelling by the Russian post. On the previous evening I had
ordered and paid for everything before-hand; yet I was obliged in
the morning to awaken the post officers myself, as well as to see
after the driver, and to be constantly about among the people, in
order to get away. At the third station I was kept waiting three
hours for the horses; at the fourth they gave me none, and I was
obliged to stay all night, although I had gone only fifty-five
wersti the whole day.

The character of the country changes before reaching Delischan: the
valleys contract to narrow gorges, and the mountains seldom leave
space for small villages and plots of ground. The naked masses of
rock cease, and luxuriant woods cover the heights.

Near Pipis, the last stage that I went today, beautiful cliffs and
rocks rose close to the post-road, many of them presenting the
appearance of enormous columns.

August 28th. Continual trouble with the post people. I am the
greatest enemy of scolding and harsh treatment; but I should have
best liked to have spoken to these people with a stick. No idea can
be formed of their stupidity, coarseness, and want of feeling.
Officers, as well as servants, are frequently found at all hours of
the day sleeping or drunk. In this state they do as they please,
will not stir from their places, and even laugh in the faces of the
unfortunate travellers. By the aid of much quarrelling and noise,
one is at last induced to drag out the car, a second to grease it,
another baits the horses, which have often to be harnessed, then the
straps are not in order, and must be first fastened and repaired;
and innumerable other