Fort Anne. 307 



greater neat. I found a difficulty of breath- 

 ing, and it feemed to me as if my lungs could 

 not draw in a fufficient quantity of air. I 

 was more eafed when I went down into the 

 vallics, and efpecially along the Wood-creek. 

 I tried to fin the air to me with my hat, 

 but it only encreafed the difficulty of breath- 

 ing, and I received the greater!: relief when 

 X went to the water, and in a mady place fre- 

 quently fprinkled fome water in the air. 

 My companions were all very much weak- 

 ened, but they did not find fuch difficulty in 

 breathing, as I had done ; however towards 

 evening the air became fomewhat cooler. 



June the 29th. Having compleated 

 our boat", after a great deal of trouble, we 

 continued our journey this morning. Our 

 provihons, which were much diminimed, 

 obliged us to make great hade; for by 



U 2 being 



Marcus Antoninus were obliged to make laws againft it, but 

 neither were they long obferved, for we find, foon the 

 Council of Laodicea obliged to prefcribe a canon againft this 

 brutal cuftoro, and notwithftanding this we find ibon after 

 that not only perfonr, of all ranks, but even clergymen and 

 monks bathed promifcuoufly with women, in the fame 

 baths ; and from thence, it is probable, this cuftom pailcd 

 among the Ruffians, when chriftianity took place among 

 them. Near the bath, in Ruffia, is commonly a pond, 

 where the people pliinge in, when quite hot, and in win- 

 ter they welter in the ihow ; and Saturdays it is common 

 to fee before the bath naked men and women, each having 

 a bundle of rods in their hand, with which they gentjy 

 beat one another, when in the bath. F. 



