IN THE CRIMEA. 
235 
guests, that they may repose. The houses of CI ^ P - 
the Tahtars, even the cottages of the poor, 1 v — 
are extremely clean, being often white-washed. 
The Hoor generally consists of earth ; but this is 
smooth, firm, dry, and it is covered with mats 
and carpets. The meanest Tahtar possesses a 
double dwelling; one for himself and his guests, 
and another for his women. They do not allow 
their most intimate friends to enter the place 
allotted for the female part of the family. We 
were quite surprised to find, that, with so much 
cleanliness, the itch was a prevalent disorder. 
It was also difficult to escape attacks from 
venomous insects and vermin. The tarantula, 
the scorpion, the cock-roach, different kinds of 
lice, bugs, fleas, flies, and ants, more or less 
incommoded us in the place where we rested ; 
and we found it necessary to reconcile our- 
selves, occasionally, to the appearance of a 
few larsre toads crawling near to our beds. 
With all these inconveniences, we nevertheless 
deemed the change, from a Russian palace to 
a Tahtar cottage, very desirable. In the houses 
of Russian grandees, unwholesome filth is 
ill concealed by external splendour : but the 
floor and the walls of a Tahtars residence, be 
it but a cottage, are white and clean. Even the 
place where his fire burns is unsoiled by smoke ; 
a nd if the traveller be properly cautioned 
