MISCELLANIES. 



541 



which pass from father to son un- 

 diminii-hed, and commonly with- 

 out ever being coonted. 



Since the foundation of the uni- 

 versity of Cliarkow, the Gymna- 

 eium at Tscherkassk has been 

 placed on a better footing ; and I 

 must own that 1 scarcely ex- 

 pected to find so good a seminary 

 among the Cossacks. During my 

 stay there was a public examina- 

 tion which was highly creditable 

 to the institution ; and truth 

 obliges me to declaie that it may 

 vie with any other in Russia. The 

 Cossacks are quick of apprehen- 

 sion; they have shrewd under- 

 standings, and are not deficient in 

 Asiatic acuteness. This circum- 

 stance of itself evinces that they 

 are not of pure Russian descent. 

 They are much addicted to intoxi- 

 cation, but are ashamed to suffer 

 its consequences to be publicly 

 seen, which is not the case in the 

 rest of Russia; for there, when a 

 man of quality reels along the 

 streets after a debauch, no one 

 takes the least notice of it, neither 

 does it cast the slightest imputa- 

 tion on his character. The people 

 of Tscherkassk choose rather to 

 drink to excess at home, and the 

 fair sex make no scruple to partake 

 in these Bacchanalian orgies. 



The little town of Nachtschi- 

 wan, built since the year 1780 by 

 the Armenians who have emi- 

 grated from the Krym, is only 28 

 wersts from Tscherkassk. The 

 road thither cros.ses the Akssai, 

 and then leads on the right side of 

 the Don past dangerous ravines, 

 in which run small streams that 

 are dry in summer. I cannot de- 

 scribe what art" agreeable impres- 

 8ion was made upon me by this 

 perfectly regular and handsome 



place, and the great order which 

 prevails there; it were to be 

 wished that many such Armenian 

 towns might be founded in other 

 parts of the Russian empire. 

 Nachtschiwan signifies new set." 

 tlement, and has been thus named 

 after a town of Armenia) where, 

 says tradition, Noah, on descend- 

 ing from Mount Arrarat, first built 

 himself a habitation. The shops 

 here are particularly worthy of 

 notice ; they form a long row, and 

 are stocked with all kinds of com- 

 modities. In front of them runs 

 a broad and completely covered 

 passage, which is lighted from 

 above by windows, and has, on 

 account of its height and elegance, 

 an imposing appearance. Ac- 

 cording to the Asiatic custom, the 

 mechanics work in their shops, 

 and all the persons of the same 

 trade live near one another ; so 

 that you here see a row of gold- 

 smiths, there another of bakers, 

 tailors, &c. Nachtschiwan is 

 moreover a very populous and 

 lively place. 



My host, who was then chief 

 magistrate (Golowa), took a plea- 

 sure in conducting me about every 

 where, and showed me iu the 

 town-house the licence for build- 

 ing the town confirmed by the 

 empress Catherine II., which, 

 written in the Armenian language 

 and in large characters, adorns the 

 Court of Justice. Colonel Awra- 

 mow, an Armenian by birth, has 

 rendered great services to the 

 town, and was one of the original 

 founders. At his house I met 

 with two Armenian archiman- 

 drites, who were on the way to 

 the celebrated convent of Etsch- 

 miadsin, near Eriwan. At night 

 we had a trnly cheerful ball, at 



