234 FORESTRY IN LITHUANIA.. 



Odessa to Orel, writes : ' The appearance of the country 

 from Odessa to Nicholaief is flat and woodless. Near 

 Elizabethgrad several ravines produce some little variety 

 on the surface, but few trees of any kind are to be seen ; 

 and this bald uninteresting scene continues as far as Kiev, 

 though with rather more undulations on the surface of the 

 country as we approach the banks of the Dnieper. Those 

 about Kiev may be styled hills ; and are formed by the 

 torrents that flow into the above-mentioned river, creating 

 in their course a number of ravines. After crossing the 

 Dnieper at Kiev, the country continues level the whole way 

 to Orel, except here and there a few gently rising slopes ; 

 but there is extremely little wood, though the scenery is 

 not quite so barren as that south of the Dnieper. Here 

 there is little variety of prospect, therefore, to amuse the 

 traveller excepting the common appearances of a regular 

 Russian winter, the blue expanse of heaven above, with 

 the woodless snow-clad earth beneath, and the clear pale 

 powerless lunar-like rays of the sun shed over it; spotted 

 with hamlets and villages, often at many miles distance 

 from each other, and nearly concealed from view by 

 winters revengeful robe ; now and then a chain of sledges 

 traverses the scene, and at the twilight seems to be 

 moving in the air, so singularly does the united line of 

 snow and sky deceive the eye of the beholder ; or perhaps 

 the sound of a fellow-travellers bell is heard tinkling, as 

 he draws near. This precaution is adopted to prevent 

 accidents in the night, as the movement of the sledge 

 upon the snow, like that of a ship upon the sea, gives no 

 indication of its approach.' 



Such is the monotonous scenery which presents itself to 

 the traveller in Russia everywhere during winter, But the 

 intensity of the cold, and its invigorating effects upon animal 

 life, seems to make every living creature to move with greater 

 celerity ; and in general 1 have observed the Russians 

 give greater demonstrations of joy at the commencement 

 of winter than at the opening of spring. 



