APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 273 



is a gathering sound for the wolf, but the voice of man, 

 made in his Creator's image, will hold him aloof. The 

 blast of a horn greatly annoys them, a fiddle makes them 

 fly, and the gi ogling of bells is. also a means of scaring 

 them, which, besides the expedience of proclaiming your 

 approach in dark nights on these noiseless sledge-roads, is 

 one reason why all winter equipages are fitted up with 

 bells/ 



Nor is the breaking up of the winter in Estonia less 

 truly portrayed : ' The soft hand of spring imperceptibly 

 withdraws the bolts and bars of winter, while the earth, 

 like a drowsy child, 'twixt sleeping and waking, flings oft 

 one wrapper after another and opes its heavy lids in 

 showers of sweet rivulets. And the snow disappears, and 

 the brown earth peeps almost dry from beneath ; and you 

 wonder where all the mountains of moisture are gone. 

 But wait the rivers are still locked, and though a strong 

 current is pouring on their surface, yet, from the high 

 bridge, the green ice is still seen deep below, firm as a 

 rock and dogs go splashing over in the old track, and 

 peasants with their horses venture long after it seems 

 prudent. At length a sound like distant thunder, or the 

 crashing of a forest, meets your ear, and the words " Der 

 Eisgang, der Eisgang ! " pass from mouth to mouth, and 

 those who would witness this northern scene hurry out to 

 the old stone bridge, and are obliged to take a circuitous 

 route, for the waters have risen ankle deep and then 

 another crash, and you double your pace regardless of wet 

 feet, and are startled at the change which a few hours 

 have produced. On the one side, close besetting the bridge, 

 and high up the banks, lies a field of ice lifting the waters 

 before it and spreading them over the country ; while huge 

 masses flounder and swing against one another with loud 

 reports, and heave up their green transparent edges, full 

 six feet thick, with a majestic motion ; and all these press 

 heavily upon the bridge, which trembles at every stroke, 

 and stands like a living thing labouring and gasping for 



T 



