COLLOQUIA ENTOMOLOGICA. 329 



shoulder ; a lance at least eight feet long, with a diamond- 

 shaped steel head; a cutlass and belt; a wallet, stored with 

 provender for man and beast ; a bear-skin cap ; a ditto jacket, 

 or spencer, if you please ; a ditto inexpressibles, and a ditto 

 saddle. I retired and made my toilet in a moment, and re- 

 appeared in costume to the great delight of the messenger and 

 slave of the Empei'or of all the Russias. I mounted the 

 charger, slung on the rifle, adjusted the wallet to the saddle, 

 buckled on the belt, and laid the spear in rest, — a boar's hide 

 rest, nicely fastened on the right thigh of the inex, and I de- 

 clare to you the spear stuck out far enough to run through a 

 half a dozen bears before the charger could come up to one of 

 them. I could not resist the temptation of charging on a 

 young pig, which was mumbling a frozen turnip in my land- 

 lady's farm-yard, so I rode furiously at him, the pony's feet 

 ringing on the frozen snow — 

 Erro. — 



Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum. 



Rus. The little half-starved Por cites, supposing I was in 

 earnest, bolted through a double window into the kitchen, 

 which did immense mischief, for I afterwards heard that the 

 whole winter's stock of eggs and small beer was frozen solid 

 while the cook was hunting about for something to stuff in 

 the hole. But to the tale. I started with five other hairy 

 centaur-looking fellows, as beautiful as myself, and as the day 

 was clear, the snow solid, the beasts fresh, and I possessed 

 enough Russ to hold sweet converse with my companions, the 

 ride was far from unpleasant. Before night we reached a 

 square building, of considerable size, built expressly for these 

 occasions, and consisting of four bare walls, with a few narrow 

 slits for windows, and a hole in the roof; into this hut we 

 turned, horses and all, lighted a fire in the middle, fed our 

 horses and ourselves, spread our furs, and prepared for rest, 

 having first carefully fastened the immense door. Salvator 

 Rosa or Rembrandt would have immortalized us had they had 

 the opportunity. My companions were most or all asleep, 

 when a wild shriek of horror or fright burst from all the horses 

 at once, — it seemed to crack one's ear-drums, and mine even 

 now tingle with the recollection. The Cossacks sprung on 

 their feet : then came the clicking of the rifle-cocks, and then 



NO. IV. VOL. I. u u 



