SHORES OF THE SEA OF AZOF. 
size, locusts, various-coloured insects, and 
large green lizards, some of which were twelve 
inches in length. Having brought a letter to a 
Greek gentleman, whose commercial specula- 
tions, particularly in the fishery, bad induced 
him to fix his residence in this country, we 
found him at Margaritovskaia, another small 
village, four miles from Chumburskaia ; and 
caused our carriage to be conveyed to his 
house. He was settled in a small colony of his 
own countrymen, the neatness of whose cot- 
tages plainly distinguished them from all the 
other inhabitants of the country. “ I have 
retired to this place,” said he, “ to be somewhat 
removed from the shore ; as the natives along 
the coast are not to be trusted.” He gave us 
a supper of rice, milk, and pancakes, according 
to the custom of his nation ; and we should 
have felt comfortable in his little dwelling, had 
it not been for the revolting appearance of toads 
crawling upon the floor. Reptiles, vermin, bad 
air, bad water, and bad people, are among the 
plagues of Oriental territories ; but the small 
district we traversed in this part of Asia, from 
the Mouths of the Don to those of the Kuban , 
may vie in natural horrors with any other we 
have since seen. The roads at this season of 
the year (July) were however excellent, and 
the post was very well supplied. 
