308 
CHAP. 
XII. 
Steppes. 
DON COSSACKS. 
which town derive all their wood from the 
Volga. 
As soon as we had left Kasankaia, we entered 
the steppes in good earnest, with a view to 
traverse them, in their whole extent, to Tcher- 
hask. They are not cultivated ; but, bleak 
and desolate as their appearance during winter 
may be, they have during summer the aspect 
of a wild continued meadow. The herbage, 
rising as high as the knee, is full of flowers, 
and exhibits a very interesting collection of 
plants. No one collects or cuts this herbage. 
The soil, although neglected, is very fine. We 
passed some oaks, in the first part of our journey, 
with the largest leaves we had ever seen. The 
Cossacks composing our escort galloped before 
us, bearing their long lances; and were of great 
use in clearing the road of caravans, and in 
tracing the best track where a carriage might 
expeditiously pass. We were pleased in sur- 
veying our little armed band, going at full 
speed ; but thought it would avail us little, 
if the stories we had heard of banditti in the 
steppes were really true. For ourselves, we 
were destitute of any defensive weapons, ex- 
cepting our sabres ; and these were under lock 
and key, in the sword-case. We relied there- 
fore solely on the Cossacks, who seemed quite 
