474 EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON THE APPETITE. 
determined to remain on board this day at least, to repair 
damages and recover from the eftects of their overdone 
hospitality and roast beef, in sjoite of the promise they 
had extracted from us to attend another lunch. 
“ They -were a glorious set of fellows, those very Rus- 
sians, — strong-framed, large-hearted, and with astonisli- 
ingly-capahle heads and stomachs, if one might judge 
from the quantity of wine and viands which they de- 
stroyed at most frequent and outlandish periods. They 
would drink thi’ce or four wine-elasses of raw irin or 
whiskey before each meal, — calling it by the modest com- 
bination of ‘‘twenty drops/’ — and raise their brows in 
surprise at our remarkable abstinence, we only indulging 
in one glassful. They would eat an ordinary meal just 
before each regular repast, calling it by the simple ex- 
pression of “getting ready,” and accuse us of not liking 
some particular dish, simply from tlie fact of our slacken- 
ing up after having already eaten as much as two ordinary 
men before it Avas brought on the table. In short, thej^ 
were men who could eat, drink, and keep late liours 
without experiencing any of those atinoying results 
which too often present themselves in the sliape of night- 
mare, unpleasant pains about half-way between one’s 
head and heels, &c. &c. ; and, such being their powers of 
endurance, they had no idea of letting us recover (piictly 
in our rooms from the eftects of the 2:>rcvious night’s 
supper, when, as they said, they were to lose our com- 
pany the next day. They therefore came off to the 
ship in a body, and had pretty well persuaded some 
of the more seasoned of the mess to return with them 
according to promise, Avlieii the cry Avas raised on deck 
