COUNTRY OF THE DON COSSACKS. 
203 
This village is situate in the most wild and ci ™p. 
open steppes. Amongst the short herbage we 1 v — 
noticed the land- tortoise. Its flesh is esteemed 
a great delicacy; as it is in the Archipelago, 
and in all Turkish cities. Boat-loads of them 
are carried from the Greek Isles to t|^e markets 
of Constantinople. After leaving Kazinskoy, we 
passed through several very large villages, 
scattered over valleys, each of which appeared 
to consist rather of several hamlets than of one, 
and arrived at Nizney Momon. Nothing occurred 
** ° Momon . 
worth observation, except the plants we col- 
lected 1 . The heat was intense. The country 
similar to that before described. We found 
our vinegar a pleasing and salutary ingredient 
in bad water, and a most delicious solace, when 
exposed to the scorching rays of the sun, with 
parched lips, and mouths full of dust. It was 
impossible to resist the temptation of drinking 
it without water ; and to the practice of doing 
so may be attributed, perhaps, the weak state 
of health into which the author afterwards fell. 
We considered it, at this time, the most valu- 
able part of our baggage; and afterwards, in 
(l) Of these, some are known incur country; viz. Goat’s-beard, 
Tragvpogon praten.se, and Pntentilla argcntea. Others, more rare, are, 
the Gladiolus imbricatus, not found even in our botanic gardens ; 
■Astragalus Onobrychis, Hcsperis matronalis, and Campanula Sibirica. 
We observed also a new species of Lychnis. 
