PODOLIA-JEWS-BRODY.

267

very rapid change for the better. No part of Ancient Russia, that I have seen, except, perhaps, some part of the province of Yaroslav, can at all compare in fertility or beauty with her Polish acquisitions. Not the banks of the Volga, nor even the Crimea itself, have any thing like the oak woods and corn-fields of Podolia. The difference which principally struck us was in the appearance of the houses and towns, the paved and narrow streets, the crucifixes by the road side, the monasteries, the Latin inscriptions, and the other marks of a different religion, and habits more nearly approaching the rest of Europe. A majority of the lower class are, however, of the Greek religion, and several of the village Churches were rude imitations of the cupola of which the Russians are so fond. The number of Jews likewise is very striking; in Muscovy, properly so called, they are never seen; in Little and New Russia they begin to appear; but in this part of Poland I verily believe they constitute one third of the whole population. All the inns are kept by them; and we had heard horrible accounts of their dirt and misery. To us, however, having been well drilled to endure both, they were very tolerable indeed. We were always able to get, at least, clean straw and decent victuals, and these were no small luxury. The peasants are very poor and depressed. In Gallicia, for the first time in my life, I saw women holding the plough, and breaking stones on the highway. I know not to what circumstance to attribute this poverty, the laws being more indulgent to the peasant than in Russia. Their houses, indeed, are better and cleaner than those of ordinary Muscovite peasants.

"We arrived at Brody a day after the Austrian, or as the Russians call him, the 'Roman' Consul; we had been introduced to him at Odessa, and found his acquaintance very useful in directing us to a good inn, and getting us, with less trouble, past the custom-house. The Austrian post is still very good, though it has been much injured by the passage of the army. Several persons in Leopold have complained of the conduct of the Russian troops in their march through the country; but the peasants seem to have been contented with their behaviour, and were much struck with the good cloth and gay uniforms they wore.

"The country which has fallen to the share of Austria is more picturesque and more populous than that of Russia; but apparently not so fertile. Both would, however, be called fertile and beautiful in the richest part of England. The national dress and the shaved head are still in universal use among the lower classes. Of the 'plica polonica,' we have only seen one instance, and it is considered as rare. Among the nobility, the old people are still shaved and dressed like their ancestors, in long cassocks, girt with a broad sash; the sabre, however, the ancient mark of a gentleman, is, since the partition, rarely worn. 'Fuimus Troes.' Leopold is a very considerable town, having 30,000 inhabitants. It was the favourite residence of John Sobiesky, whose palace is still shown. Charles the Twelfth came here in person to besiege the town, and it is almost needless to add, was successful.

"We brought with us some good introductions, particularly a letter from the venerable Russian General Michelson to the governor, an old Hungarian Count Urmeni, whose kindness has furnished us with some letters for Buda. We intend to take this road to Vienna, as the last news from Russia seems to make our return by Riga inevitable. Our letters of introduction are directed in Latin, which language is still much used in Hungary. We are therefore rubbing up our phrases, and recollecting our old exercise books. Willimot's Peculiars' would be a real treasure to us, or any other book of dialogues.

"We are told of difficulties that await us if we take this route, but we are not very easily alarmed, and these difficulties are only those of getting horses and beds. A little exertion will supply the one, and on the celebrated hospitality of the Hungarians we must rely for the other. Our road lies through the Carpathian mountains, by Caschau, Eslau, and Tokay, (where I will drink From thence to Vienna by Raab and Presburgh. The way is short and the road excellent along the bank of the Danube. I promise myself much pleasure in findOur stay there will not be long.

your health,) to Buda.

ing letters at Vienna.

CHAPTER IX.

LEMBERG TO YARMOUTH.

Przemisl―Daklo-Hungarians-Gypsies-mineral waters of Bartpha-Castle built by Ragozzi—Wells-Jews-Hungarian

peasants-Funeral-Aperies--Castle--Caschau-School

Tokay wine-Szerwz-Calvinist Church-Number of protest

ants--Miskoltz-Kerestes-School--Erlau-Academy-Arch

bishop of Agria-Count Esterhazy-Halwar-Buda-WineDanube-Hungarian dress-Vienna-Theatres-German literature-The Prater-Baden-Events of the war-Conduct of French in Vienna-Buonaparte--Brunn--Battle of Austerlitz-Prague-Dresden-Leipzig--Moravians-Halle-Witten

berg---Luther and Melancthon-Potsdam---Berlin---Hamburgh-Yarmouth. 1806.

"June 19th.-LEFT Lemberg for Hungary. The country, like all Gallicia, is fertile and pleasing, with woody hills, and a light chalky soil; the trees are principally fir. A little to our right hand lay a seat of the prince of Lorraine, said to be very beautiful. Count Mussy had given us a letter to him, but we were unable to make use of it, as Thornton's illness rendered it necessary for us to keep the straight road, and to see this place we must have made a considerable detour out of the post-road.

"June 20th.-About ten this morning we arrived at Przemisl, an ancient town, with a castle and palace both in ruins, a cathedral, and two convents. Its history we could not learn. It stands in a fine situation, on the river San, which is crossed by a singular wooden bridge on three stone piers, roofed over, and having the road suspended from the roof. The San rises in the Carpathian mountains, and flows into the Vistula, receiving first the Vislok and some other streams; its course is about one hundred and fifty miles. At Przemisl it is a beautiful stream, as wide as the Dee at Overton bridge. A plan has been presented

to the Austrian government for uniting the Vistula and Dniester by a canal drawn from the latter to the San; its execution depends very much on the demand for wood at Odessa. The Dniester is also considered an advantageous outlet for the productions of Hungary; during the summer it is almost dry, and full of cataracts; but in spring and autumn it is navigable with ease and safety. The Carpathian mountains are covered with inexhaustible stores of wood, particularly oak. The Bukovina, it is hoped, will gain great advantages by its neighbourhood to the Dniester; it is said to be the finest part of the Austrian territories, mountainous, but very fertile, and with excellent timber. The inhabitants are Moldavians, and are described as a very handsome and amiable race. Several wealthy persons have purchased lands there. The Pruth, which also runs through the Bukovina, is navigable for boats; but the country through which it afterwards flows is too dangerous to admit of a regular communication with the sea. Nor do the Hungarians at all avail themselves of the Danube as a channel of foreign trade, for the same reason. The San runs on the left of the road from Przemisl. At about a German mile from the town stands, on the left hand, a large convent, in a noble situation. The country is very hilly and beautiful. Daklo is a large village, with some gentlemen's houses; we were provided with a letter to the post-master, whom we found a very civil old man, with the manners and appearance of a gentleman. His house was neatly furnished, chiefly with a kind of dark wood, of which I could not learn the name. He was a Bohemian, and spoke very ill of the Hungarians. This class of men are here very decent, and often of gentlemen's families; forty years' service ennobles them.

"From Daklo the road becomes more hilly, and the country more elevated and barren, with magnificent firs. The cultivation is good, and carried up to the hill tops, though the soil is flinty, and the crops light. The valleys put me much in mind of Wharfdale. The Hungarian frontier is three miles from Daklo. We first passed by a sort of custom house, where our passports were examined, but not our luggage; they told us we should want no passports in Hungary.

HUNGARIANS--GYPSIES.

271

"The first Hungarian peasants we met did not give us much idea of happiness or liberty; they seemed half-starved, half naked slaves, very wild and noisy; and both men and women dirty and ragged. The post master at the first village where we stopped spoke Latin fluently, though a mere peasant and in rags. We met with some delay in procuring horses, none being kept at the post, as there were so few travellers; in such cases peasants' horses are furnished by the post master.

The posts are little used, as the ignoble travel with carriers' horses, of which persons there are many in all the towns, who supply horses and carriages to any distance, at a price rather inferior to the post. The nobles have the privilege of demanding horses at every village from the peasants, which is called 'raising the comitatus.' They only pay a few florins drink-money every stage. We were advised to send a 'lanssettel' before us like the Swedish 'forebüd,' but the Count Urmeni dissuaded us, saying we should always overtake the avant courier. There are few chaussees in Hungary; they depend on the pleasure of the county meetings and of the different proprietors. We slept at Orlich at a miserable Jew inn, which was already full of guests. I myself slept on the kitchen floor amid the Jew's family. Thornton preferred the carriage.

"June 21st.-At this place we saw several families of gypseys; these people have here the same Asiatic features, and lead the same manner of life as in England. They are very numerous in Hungary. Our drivers had been noisy and saucy; but on parting came to kiss Thornton's hand and wish him a perfect recovery. The language here and as far as Caschau, is Sclavonic, and does not materially differ from Russian and Polish. Thornton's servant could make himself perfectly understood. Count Mussy informed us that all the country from hence to the mines at Cremnitz, is inhabited by the same race of people. They consider themselves as the aborigines of the country, and are said to be a much better-natured race than the pure Hungarian.

"A few miles from Bartpha is a large village with two Churches, a convent, and a fine house, the property of Count