but a trivial fhare. Common tradition, and certain ideas which are arbitrarily located in the minds of most men, had figured to me a Ruffian, tall, robust, of a fierce afpect, of barbarous manners, and uncouth deportment. In fhort, truth obliges me to fay that I had ever affimilated the idea of an urfa major with a native of Ruffia, and it would have been equally difficult to have separated these figures in my mind, as meagerness from a Frenchman, or corpulence from a Hollander. But I must crave pardon of the Ruffian nation at large, for this and other erroneous opinions which I had formed of it.

In the first instance, I saw that the Ruffians were evidently of lower ftature, than most of the northern people of Europe, and generally had the thick form of a Tartar, with his broad visage. Those who are not in the fervice of government, encourage the growth of the beard; they wear a long outer vest, which is fastened round the middle with a girdle; their fhirt, like that of the Mahometans, hangs over the breeches, which are short, and they ufually wear boots. Their hair falls loosely down the neck, and they cover the head, when abroad, with a cap or bonnet, which is taken off in the houfe, and in the interchange of courtesy. They poffefs an addrefs and fuavity of manners, even in ordinary life, which would not difgrace men of a much higher clafs, among nations deemed the most polite. The entrance of a Ruffian into a room at first surprized me; for, instead of noticing any perfon in it, he uncovers his head, and with an air of humble reverence,

offers

offers up a prayer to the picture of the virgin and an infant Jefus, which is exhibited in the most confpicuous part of every apartment. Having performed this ceremony he falutes the company, and at departure he observes the like ufage. I am by no means empowered to afcertain the virtual opinions which the Ruffians entertain of their national religion, or to what extent they may operate in a moral tendency; but I can with confidence say, that their exterior observance of religious duties is accompanied with a reverential attention; and is void of that fantastic mummery which has thrown a ridicule on many parts of the Romish worship.

I HAD not long been a member of the Ruffian fociety, when Hadji Mahomed appeared at Mufchid Sir. On perceiving him, I was impreffed with an involuntary dread, and had my creed admitted the tenet, I fhould have feen in Hadji Mahomed my evil genius. Retiring to the house I waited with anxiety for the iffue of his operations, which I knew would be hostile to my welfare; when, after fome little time the master of the vessel coming in, informed me that the hadji had made many enquiries about my fituation, and fpoke of me in terms of regard. The Ruffian expreffed much furprize at hearing me lament this intelligence, which he said, ought to give me pleasure, as Hadji Mahomed was a perfon of eminent note at Mazanderan, and might affist me in procuring a passport, without which I now learned no perfon could leave the province. A ftorm now began to VOL. II. threaten

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threaten me from all quarters; the perfon who had been my first interpreter, was not as he faid, a native of Ruffia, but an Armenian ; and with a treachery not uncommon to his tribe, had circulated among the Perfians of Mufchid Sir, the information he had been entrusted with, embellished with many fabrications of his own; as that I poffeffed much wealth in money and jewels, and that I was a fpy. This story obtained a general credit with the Mahometans, especially with Hadji Mahomed, who began to contrive plans of deriving an advantage from my troubles. The mafter of the veffel feeing the popular cry ftrong against me, be came fearful of giving me fhelter; for it is neceffary to mention, that the Ruffian traders, chiefly a low clafs of people, are exposed in all parts of the government of Aga Mahomed to fevere oppreflions and infult; but which an advantageous traffick has induced them to overlook. And Aga Mahomed knowing the cause of their forbearance, preferves no decency in his con duct to them.

THE Ruffian now acquainted me, with manifest symptoms of fear, that were he to receive me without a paffport, his veffel and cargoe would be confiscated. The principal freighter of the bark, Abbas Ali, a native of Baku, had fhewn me from my first arrival at Mufchid Sir, much kindness, and feemed defirous of relieving my embarrassment. He expressed a forrow at the serious difficulty in which I was involved, rendered, he said, the more perplexing by the ill defigns of the master of the veffel,

who

who was a perfon of a bad character; but be of good comfort, continued he, for I will be your friend, and do not on any pretence entrust your property to the Ruffian." This advice. came in convenient season, and testified that Abbas Ali knew this man; for on the following day he addreffed me in a long harangue, fetting forth that the Perfians had received intelligence of my poffeffing a valuable amount in fpecie and jewels, that my own knowledge of thefe people would naturally point out the infecure state of both my perfon and effects, and that an earneft regard to my welfare, had induced him to request that my property might be depofited in his charge, until the departure of the veffel. But the counfel of Abbas Ali, not a little ftrengthened by the present proposal, determined me to be the keeper of my own cafh.

:: EITHER the refentment of a fuppofed want of confidence in him, or the disappointment of fome finifter purpose, gave the Ruffian a fenfible chagrin; and from that time he continued to treat me with rudeness and neglect. That I might retire from the view of the people at Mufchid Sir, who were now in the habit of accumulating unfavourable conjectures of me, I defired to go on board the veffel, and remain there until fome method might be adopted to leave the country with permiffion; and the mafter having confented, though with much reluctance, to my embarkation, I departed fecretely and without any impediment. From the Ruffian quarter the distance is about a mile and a

half to the mouth of the river, where the force of the fea has raised a long and fhallow bar, navigable only by boats and small light vessels; but when the wind blows ftrong from the north, the paffage is wholly impracticable.

THE bark lay a league from the fhore in fix or feven fathoms water, and was about the burthen of one hundred tons, with two mafts; the largest, fixed in the centre, is of one piece and rigged with a standing main fail, extended at the upper end by a long gaff, and at the foot with a sheet, a topsail; and an occafional topgallantfail; this laft is furled before it is hoifted with flight ropes; which are broken when the fail is aloft by a preffure on the lower ropes; the fore part of the veffel is furnished with a flanting forefail, a bowfprit and jib; and on the poop ftands a finall maft, which carries a mizenfail. The clumfy form and conftruction of the barks which navigate the Cafpian fea, fhew that little improvement has been made on them fince the time of Peter the Great, who first introduced the art of fhip-building into Ruffia. Having straight fides with a large and ponderous kitchen on the deck; these veffels fail flowly, and only with a free wind. As they lye much in open roads, the Cafpian being fcantily fupplied with harbours, they are furnished with ftout anchors and cables, apparently of a larger fize than is neceffary; though there is often found full occafion for fuch aids to withstand the furious gales of wind and high breaking waves, which prevail in this sea.