320 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOET. 



signing our steeds to the charge of the country- 

 people who clustered round and contended for the 

 honour of assisting us to dismount, we followed our 

 guide up a narrow stair to the apartment of the 

 Prince, who, surrounded by plenty of attendants and 

 very little furniture, received us with much urbanity, 

 and a polish which plainly indicated a familiarity 

 with St Petersburg saloons. I was surprised to find 

 that one who had lived in the Eussian capital, and 

 enjoyed the comforts of civilisation, should not have 

 introduced more of them into his own residence. 

 Nothing could be more cold and cheerless than the 

 interior of this princely habitation ; and, with the 

 exception of the chairs we sat on, and a spittoon, I 

 did not observe any furniture in his reception-room. 



Though we could not compliment our host upon 

 the comfort of his apartment, we could conscientiously 

 congratulate him upon the magnificence of his terri- 

 tory, and especially upon the charming situation of 

 his house. The lovely country through which we had 

 been riding stretched away seaward in rich luxiiriance, 

 and bore completely the character of an English park, 

 except that the trees which dotted its undulating 

 slopes were more imposing, and the effect of their 

 beauty was enhanced by the constant intermingling 

 of vine-leaves with their own foliage ; for all these 

 forest giants were united in one loving embrace by 

 the lusty arms of this noble creeper. Inland the 

 country was more thickly wooded; the undulations 



