Cochrane' s Journey to the Frozen Sea and Kamtchatka. 607 



what I heard, I must suppose the ex- 

 pression spoke the sentiments of a large 

 portion of the Bourbon subjects. His 

 veracity was indeed questionable, de- 

 claring that he had been seven days 

 without food, at Witepsk ; and, tliat 

 out of five hundred and thirty French- 

 men confined in the same prison with 

 himself, but twenty-three remained 

 alive to tell the dreadful tale. It took 

 them, he said, eight months travelling 

 to reach their destination at Tobolsk. 



He was, however, a lively and even 

 a serviceable companion, for upon com- 

 plaining of my feet becoming blistered, 

 he communicated to me as a secret a 

 mode of cure which I have never found 

 to fail. It is simply to rub the feet at 

 going to bed, with spirits mixed with 

 tallow dropped from a lighted candle 

 into the palm of the hand. On the 

 following morning, no blisters will 

 exist; the spirit seems to possess the 

 healing power, the tallow serving only 

 to keep the skin soft and pliant. The 

 soles of the feet, the ancles, and insteps, 

 should be rubbed well ; and even where 

 no blisters exist, the application may 

 be usefully made as a preventive. Salt 

 and water is a good substitute ; and 

 while on tliis head, I would recom- 

 mend foot-travellers never (o wear right 

 and left shoes : it is bad economy, and 

 indeed serves to cramp the feet. 



GERMANY. 



The day proved fine, which enabled 

 me to reach Sarrebruck, five miles 

 within the barrier of Germany. The 

 scenery was wild and interesting. 

 Many cultivated spots smiled through 

 the immense dark forests; and even 

 on the frontier line, the romantic view 

 combined with the thought of entering 

 a strange country, unknowing and un- 

 known, and ignorant of its language, 

 had nearly overpowered me, until the 

 sight of a neat little public-house, 

 brought me back again to John Bull and 

 his happy home. And although that part 

 of the world may not bear a oompatison 

 •with England, still the picture had 

 many points of resemblance. The 

 country was highly cultivated, and in- 

 habited in the manner of straggling 

 farms ; and the country inn with its tap, 

 and red- faced landlord, cheering fire, 

 plenty of gooil beer, tobacco, a smoky 

 room, with boisterous guests, all in high 

 dispute on politics, and keeping:; up 

 Saturday night, were no bad emblems 

 of England, and, as such, Iriily accept- 

 able to a cold dispirited traveller. 



Aftf'r a walk of forty milen I supped 

 .Monthly Mao. No. 3!>S. 



with some itinerant Jews, upon a 

 genuine German repast, viz. milk soup, 

 tricaseed veal, pancakes, roast joint, 

 witli a sausage, called in London, 

 brawn. We bad also our dessert,consist- 

 ing of apples, pears, nuts, and good wine. 

 The manners oF the i)eople, their diet, 

 the economy and cleanliness of llieir 

 houses, nay, the modesty of their 

 females — in a word, every thing that 

 renders life agreeable, remind mc 

 forcibly, that I am not going to bed in 

 France. 



KAISERS LAUTERN. 



Kaisers Lautern is a considerable 

 town, with seven thousand inhabitants. 

 It is well built, and so clean as to 

 present somewhat of the appearance of 

 an English Market or Borough town. 

 Its situation is agreeable, surrounded by 

 high and cultivated lands. It is said 

 to belong to the King of Bavaria at 

 present; at least the public-house at 

 which I put up for the night belonged 

 to his majesty. Mayence, I believe, 

 belongs to the Duke of Hesse Cassel. 

 Frankfort is a free city, and Prussia is 

 within a stone's-throw, so that, in fact 

 it was difiicult to know under whose 

 colours I was wandering. So much for 

 the Acts of the great Vienna Congress, 

 which have placed seven flags within 

 the compass of two leagues. 



Bidding adieu, however, to Kaisers 

 Lautern and politics, I passed the fertile 

 and picturesque plain on which it 

 stands, and, ascending a long and steep 

 hill, entered on a dose country covered 

 witli thick and impenetrable forests; 

 dined at Kirchen Boland, and reached 

 Alzey late in the evening. The in- 

 habitants were not remarkable for 

 civility : for the landlord of the inn I 

 first stopped at, actually turned rae out, 

 because I Avas no more than a foot- 

 traveller. I judged it better to pocket 

 the affront ; and, having purchased a 

 small loaf of bread, I pushed on, 

 fatigued, cold, and mortified, till I 

 reached a cottage, whose adjoining 

 barn furnished my night's shelter, and I 

 reposed with perfect con tent on clean hay, 



ERFURTH. 



Erfurth, where I arrived at noon next 

 day, lies in a deep valley, and is well 

 fortified. The country round it is 

 tolerably cultivated and better peopled. 

 Here I saw, for the first time, bad black 

 bread. 



The road was as wretched as the 



scenery delightful ; lying through 



fertile valleys, studded with villages in 



all the varieties of picturesque situation ; 



4 1 the 



