DON COSSACKS 
32 7 
and bright: the tail is short; the belly generally 
protuberant, and very large. It devours almost 
every thing it finds, with the greatest voracity; 
and remains in a state of torpor half the time of 
its existence. Many of the peasants keep 
surohes tame 'in their houses. We purchased 
no less than four: they lived and travelled 
with us in our carriage, thereby enabling 
us to study their habits. They were always 
playing, or sleeping, beneath our feet, to the 
great annoyance of our little pug-dog 1 . The 
(1) Having mentioned this little animal, it may he well to say 
something of the importance of its presence with us, for the advantage 
of other travellers. The precaution was first recommended to us by a 
Polish traveller in Denmark. Any small dog (the more diminutive, 
the better, because the more portable, and generally the more petu- 
lant) will prove a valuable guardian, in countries where the traveller 
is liable to attacks from midnight robhers, and especially from pirates 
by water, as in the Archipelago. They generally sleep during the day, 
and sound their shrill alarum upon the most distant approach of 
danger, during the night. The author remembers an instance of one 
that enabled a party of mariners to steer clear of some shallows, by 
barking at a buoy, which, in the darkness of the night, they had not 
perceived. The instances in which our little dog was useful, it is 
needless to relate. But it may gratify curiosity to be informed, that, 
being naturally afraid of water, and always averse from entering it, ho 
crossed all the rivers and lakes of Lapland, Sweden, and Norway, after 
his masters ; accompanied them, during three years, in different 
climates, although detesting bodily exercise ; and ultimately performed 
a journey on foot, keeping up with horses, from Athens, through all 
Greece, Macedonia, and Thrace ; making the tour of the Archipelago, 
to Constantinople; and thence, in the same manner, through Jiulgaria, 
and fVallachia, to Bucharest . 
CHAP. 
XII. 
