1607.3. 
refpect was to me very ftriking, having 
gone immediately from the one to the 
other; and I very fenfibly felt on this 
eccafion, that I was not to rigid a pro- 
teftant as to be prevented from fecling a. 
higher gratification on entering a temple 
of religion refplendent with the tefteful 
productions of the fine arts, than on be- 
Jiolding only the bare and iouldy walls 
of another, though fanctified by the au- 
thority of the renowned and meritorious 
Martin Luther. But religion dves not 
appear to be much in tafhion at Dant- 
ac. Both in the Lutheran and in the 
Catholic churches, I obferved that. the 
congregation cuntilted chiefly of peafants 
and of the loweft claffes of the people. 
The merchants are, in general, profetled 
unbelievers ; and in notown, that I have 
feep, does intidelity appear fo widely 
diffufed among uneducated and illiterate 
people. I was told by a merchant, who 
feemed very folicitous that I thould con- 
fider him of the clafs of gentlemen, that 
it was ungenteel to.go to church, and 
that few but the vulgar, particularly,the 
peafants, would be found zealous fre- 
guenters of the temple. | , 
The places of public amufement, are 
more frequented. Within a very few 
years a new theatre has been built here ; 
which, agreeably to the cuftom of the 
gontinent, is always open on Sundays. 
The fcenery is tolerable, though the ye- 
neral appearance is heavy and inelegant. 
Fhe pit has no feats, except’ a few 
near the mufic-box: the greater part 
of it ferves as a fort of parade for. 
Joungers, A 
The aclier Sunday amufements, during 
the fummer, are rope-dancing, tumbling, 
&c,; to which may be addéd, the vilit- 
ing of public gardens, where: you are 
regaled with cotlee, punch, &c,, and the: 
gaynefs of the fcene is heightened by a 
band: of mutic. But the molt celebrated 
tea-garden is fituated*in a village, about- 
three miles to the weit. of the. town, 
The road to this village runs, tor two 
miles out of the three, in a ftraight line 
between a double row of. lofty trees; 
and between the rows on each fide isa 
walk ten or twelve feet wide, completely 
overfhadowed by the arching of the op- 
potite branches. In this village, and its 
vicinity, many of the merchants of Dant- 
zic have country relidences, [ have 
mentioned this place chiefly, becaufe it 
affords many picturefque and beautiful 
feenes ; and becaufe, from the adjoining’ 
heiglits there is the mott extenfive pro- 
{pect ef the whole furrounding country, 
' 
Particulars of the prefent State of Poland. 35 
On. the north, we have a view of the, 
Baltic ; of the bay of: Dantzic, its, bot-; 
tom adorned with forefis of pine ; .of the, 
harbour and fhipping at lair-water, with 
the velfels patiing to and fre between 
that and the town: To the eaft, is the 
city of Dantzic, with its walls and tow-: 
ers; from which, on the fouth and catt, 
firetches a fertile plain, in appearance of: 
unineafureable extent. On the weft, the, 
protpect is completed by the adjacent. 
woodlands. 
The vaft marfh which ftretches aut.» 
from Dantzic for an extent. of forty 
miles, is of fingular fertility. . [tis cultia 
vated partly in corn, and partly in pat 
turave. Vhe farm-houfes are good, and, 
the barns uncommonly capacious. Hence 
this town 3s abundantly fupplied with. 
excellent fhambles of meat, aswell as 
corn; and, as it is fomewhat cheaper 
here than in England, the matters of our 
trading-veflels often choofe to take in 
their fea-{tores. at this place, rather than 
in their own country. | Through. this. 
plain winds the Vittula, difcharging itfelf 
imto: the Baltic at the bottom of Pair- 
water, about four Englith miles. below: 
Dantzic. This river is fo {welled in the 
{pring by the melting of the winter’s 
{now, that its ftream has been confined 
by two prodigious banks, which feem.to 
commence at the fouth-eattern extre- 
mity of the mar{h, extending downwards 
through a diftance of at. leaft tweaty or 
thirty miles, and gradually difappearing 
as the river approaches the fea. Thefe 
banks are nearly a mile atunder, though 
the river itielf is rarely a quarter of a 
mile wide. They are, at the leaft, 
twenty feet in perpendicular height; are 
broad enough at the top for two carri- 
ages to pals with. difficulty, and at the 
bafe are proportionally extended. The 
river is patled here, and in various other 
places, by a boat capable of containing 
two coaches and four in fuccetlion, and 
two abrealt, with a number of perfons 
hefides.. Vhe ends of the boat are 
adapted to a finall pier at the fide, to 
which when the boatis lathed, carriages, 
&c. are eatily driven into it. During 
the winter, moit of the fireams throuzh- 
out Poland are crofled-on the ice, which 
is commonly covered with fhow. In 
fome places indeed, which are compara- 
tively few, there are bridges .of. boats, 
and on piles, of courfe all of wood. 
Soon after crofling the Viftula, at the 
ealtern extremity of the plain of Dant-~ 
zic, the country aflumes that appear 
ance which, with dfight yariations, it 
2 univerfally 
