LOVE OF GAMBLING. 61 



end to the spectacle, the Kalushes were enter- 

 tained with a favourite mess of rice boiled with 

 treacle. They lay down round the wooden 

 dishes, and helped themselves greedily with 

 their dirty hands. During the meal, the women 

 were much inconvenienced by their lip-troughs ; 

 the weight of the rice made them hang over the 

 whole chin, and the mouth could not contain 

 all that was intended for it. 



During one of these repasts, the Kalushes 

 were much terrified by a young bear which we 

 had brought from Kamtschatka : breaking loose 

 from his chain, he sprang over their heads, and 

 seizing on the w^ooden vessel that contained the 

 rice, carried it off in triumph. At parting we 

 always gave them a dram of brandy, which 

 they are very fond of, and can drink in consi- 

 derable quantities without injury. 



That no vice may be wanting to complete 

 their characters, the Kalushes are great gam- 

 blers. Their common game is played with little 

 wooden sticks painted of various colours, and 

 called by several names, such as, crab, whale, 

 duck, &c., which are mingled promiscuously 

 together, and placed in heaps covered with moss ; 



