MOLDAVIAN PEASANTS. 297 



measured by both parties in sight of each other, 

 but without any communication, excepting through 

 quarantine regulations. As far as I could judge 

 of the town without landing, I should say it is of 

 a good size, but its appearance from the river is 

 not very prepossessing. It is lighted with lamps, 

 and low sorts of carriages were being driven about, 

 which made it seem quite civilized. 



The Moldavian peasants that I saw, were all 

 well-dressed, and looked happy and clean — a re- 

 markable contrast to the Bulgarians, whom one 

 could immediately distinguish from them. Must 

 we not attribute the superior condition of the 

 Moldavians to their lately acquired independence 

 of the Turkish yoke ? Would not the Bulgarians, 

 who are known to be essentially a clean, hard- 

 working race of people, be in a totally different 

 condition, if they were relieved from Moslem 

 oppression ? 



Whilst we were lying at Galatz, the governor 

 and a large party of ladies and gentlemen, the 

 latter mostly officers, came on board to luncheon. 

 It must be borne in mind that we were in quaran- 

 tine, and could not land in Moldavia, without un- 

 dergoing five days' purification in the lazzaretto ; 

 o3 



