1 about the middle of November, I left the old and venerable
2 capital of Russia. I had my own carriage, and passed through
3 the governments of Tulai, Orel, Kiew, Volhyniu and BukoWina,
4 and also through Czeruowitz, Dorna and Bistritz, to Kronstadt,
5 my dear and beloved native town, where 1 arrived on Christmas-
6 eve, in the year 1834, bv the same road on which 1 bad twenty
7 years before left my home, full of lofty' ideas, and impelled oy
8 mv desire to see the Kastern world.
9 The season during my journey was inconvenient for me, as it.
10 would have been for any out in inv situation. Although I had
11 no longer to struggle against wild beasts and Arab voblxirs, yet
12 the severe cold was almost insupportable, and still more so were
13 the vexations and extortions 1 had everywhere to endure from
14 greedy Polish Jews, and cunning treacherous servants. But
15 even at live moment, when I had already left the Austrian
16 frontier behind me, and fancied I saw my native Land, I was
17 near losing my life. It was in the middle of December when I
18 ascended one of those snow-covered Carpathian summits, a short
19 time before suns, t. I had alighted from my carriage on account
20 of the steepness of the road, when the vehicle suddenLy over
21 tu'-ned, and was precipitated down a tremendous precipice, to¬
22 gether with the three horses and the coachman, ami there they
23 remained ull the night long. As for myself, I took refuge in a
24 chardak (cabin where the boundary guards reside), and spent the
25 night there. In the morning, my equipage was brought up by
26 the efforts of the soldiers, with the aid of a great number of often,
27 fetched from the neighbouring village. IV ho could have
28 imagined that the coachman and the horses would have been
29 alive after such a terrible fall? And yet the former was only
30 hurt, and the Jutter lamed; but the couch was broken, and
31 required repairs.
32 1 cannot conclude this first part of my adventures without'
33 giving sonic account of the deep impression I experienced on
34 treading again the .oil of my native country, aiV: an absence of
35 so many years, in which I had had to struggle against so many
36 difficulties. But the feelings of mv heart reached their highest