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114 Particulars of the present State of Poland. 
dom feen a flo¢k of fheep. Not only 
the cattle in general, but the cows, are 
driven about in large herds in fummer, 
to collec a fcanty fuftenance among the 
ftubble. Hence, a Polifh cow, from its 
diminutive fize and its feed, probably 
gives not more than a third of the milk 
yielded by an Englifh cow. I have 
counted, forty, fifty, and even fixty cows, 
in thefe pajioral dairies. The cheefe is 
ufually poor and hard. The pigs tare in 
like manner, of which large droves are 
every where to be feen in the ftubble. 
Fhe beft pafturage, exclufive of thie 
plains, is found on the occalional green 
patches in the forefts. In winter, the 
cattle are ftalled, the ground being cover- 
ed with fhow. Poultry abounds every 
where; obviouily from the general abun- 
dance of corn. 
he PO haves are alos Gath (but 
ahardyrace. The horfes of the Huflars 
can be rarely, if ever, above fourteen 
hands high; but they are fpoken of in 
terms of high admiration as war-horfes, 
and, from their activity in performing 
the various military manceuvres and evo- 
lutions, as more ferviceable than our 
heavy Englifh horfes. ‘The common 
pott-horfes too, though low, and ill-fhaped 
to a high degree, will yet travel ata rate 
httle inferior to that of our mail-coache:. 
Englifh horfes are in great requeit; 
bat though the nobles have fome good 
ones, it feems very clear that our jockeys 
contrive to impofe upon them many 
whick were probably the refufe of the 
Enghfh markets. Scarcely a horfe of 
any defcription arrives in Poland,. with- 
out a coft of at leaft 200]. including the 
purchafe-money and the expences of 
ranfportation. They have fome, in- 
deed, of which the original purchafe- 
money was double that fum, or even 
more. 
Of wild animals, the roe-buck fur- 
nifhes the moft frequent article of food. 
When drefied, its flefh is of a dark co- 
lour, ke that of the hare, but more 
tender and favoury. It makes. an ad- 
mirable difh. There are hares, too, in 
fwficient abundance. Wild fowl 1s alfo 
plentiful. 
The principal favage animals are 
wolves and wild boars, the hunting of 
which conflitutes a favourite diverfion 
with the Poles, during the winter. Both 
of thefe may be confidered as common, 
particularly the former; as a proof of 
which § may mention the following cir- 
cuniliances :—A herfe happened to die, 
2 
(March 1, 
and the carcafe was dragged within the 
verge of a foreft, probably not more 
than a quarter of a mile from the ftabie. 
Some perfons with guus lay in ambuth, 
in the certainty that wolves would ap- 
pear. Several came in a fhort time; 
but the men unluckily miffed their mark 
on this eceafion, and the animals were 
afterwards more cautious, though the 
carcafe foon difappeared, in all proba- 
bility without much aid from dogs. On 
another occafion, a wolf had the auda- 
city to enter a public houfe in the day- 
time; but as the houfe was fortunately 
crowded, with peafants, they fucceeded 
i killing him. ‘In very fevere winters, 
I was mformed, that a whole pack of 
wolves will fometimes attack a carriage 
‘as it pafies through a foreft. The horfes 
are commonly* the firft and moft defired 
victins; though an anecdote, which 
commemorates the geuerous refolution 
of a fervant, proves that they occafion- 
ally give this uncoveted preference to 
men. A gentleman was travelling, with 
his valet-de-chambre, in a fledge through 
a foreft, when they were fuddenly at- 
tacked by a number of wolves, who 
leaped furioufly at the carnage. The 
fervant, who inftantly faw that one of 
them at leaft muft be facrificed, exclaim 
ed, Protect my wife and children ; and 
inftantly leaped mto the midft of them. 
His matter drove wildly on, and efeaped. 
The kitchen-garden in Poland is not 
very abundantly furnifhed. Their din- 
ners have commonly an mconfiderable 
proportion of vegetables. Potatves are 
rare; and when produced, are ferv- 
ed in flices, having been browned and 
batted under a roafting piece of meat. 
They eat cabbage only with boiled beef. 
Tt is always ill-boiled, and never looks 
nice. Carrots are alfo fometimes feen, 
and four-crout is not uncommon; but 
failad-berbs conititute the molt frequent, 
and the moft agreeable, vegetables both 
in. winter and fummer. Upon the 
whole, there is a great deficiency of ve- 
getable food at their meals; a deficiency 
which is fupplied by copious draughts of 
a light beer, which in a moderate quan- 
tity is wholefome enough, though per- 
haps nota very good fuccedaneum to 
Englifh porter. There is alfo a weak 
“Rhenifh wine, a fmall decanter of which 
is placed near each perfon, and waich 
is always drunk mixed with water, which 
it flightly acidulates. The ftronger wines 
are ‘chiefly from Hungary, a red fpecies 
of which diftantly refembles our uti 
y ut 
