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wood *, neatly painted of a green colour. We carried a letter of recommendation fromPrince Staniflaus Poniatowlki, the King ^of Poland ’s nephew, to the Count, who re-ceived us with great franknefs. and detained us at dinner: he defired us to lay afideallform, adding, that he was a plain man, had a high efteem for the Engliffi nation, andfhould be happy to render us every fervice in his power during our ftay at Mofcow.We had the pleafure of dining feveral times with him, and always met with the moltpolite reception. The Count feemed to live in the true ftyle of old Ruffian hofpitality,and kept an open table, abounding with a great variety of Greek wines, which hebrought from the Archipelago . One difh ferved on his plentiful board, was extremelydelicious, and only inferior to our belt venifon; it was a quarter of an Aftracan ffieep,remarkable for the quantity and flavour of the fat f.
There was mufic during dinner, which generally made a part of the entertainmentat the tables of the nobility. We obferved a-lfo another ufual inftance of parade ; nu-merous retainers and dependents were intermixed with the fervants, but feldom affift-ed in any menial office: they occafionally flood round their lord’s chair, and feemedgreatly pleafed whenever they were diftinguiffied by a nod or a fmile. In this trainwas an Armenian, recently arrived from Mount Caucafus, who, agreeably to the cuf-tom of his country, inhabited a tent pitched in the garden, and covered with felt. Hisdrefs confided of a long loofe robe tied with a faffi, large breeches, and boots: hishair was cut, in the manner of the Tartars , in a circular form j his arms were a poign-ard, and a bow of buffalo’s horn ftrung with the finews of the fame animal. He wasextremely attached to his mafter; and, when firft prefented, voluntarily took an oathof fealty, and fwore, in the true language of Eaftern hyperbole, to attack all theCount’s enemies ; offering, as a proof of fincerity, to cut off his own ears; he alfowifhed that all the ficknefs, which at any time threatened his mafter, might be tranf-ferred to himfelf. He examined our clothes, and feemed delighted with pointing outthe fuperiority of his own drefs in the article of convenience : he threw himfelf intodifferent attitudes with uncommon agility., and defied us to follow his example : hedanced a Calmuc dance, which confifted in {training every mufcle, and writhing thebody into various contortions without ftirring from the fpot: he beckoned us into thegarden, took great pleafure in fnewing us his tent and his arms, and {hot feveral arrowsto an extraordinary height. We were ftruck with the unartificial chara&er of thisArmenian, who feemed like a wild man juft beginning to be civilized.
Count Orlof , who is fond of the manege, is efteemed to poffefs, though not the largeft,.yet the fineft ftud in Ruffia, and he was fo obliging as to gratify our curiofity by convey-ing us to his country-houfe, at the diftance of fifteen miles from Mofcow. He conveyedus in his own carriage drawn by fix horl'es, harneffed with ropes, and placed two infront, and four a-breaft in the hinder row; an empty coach with fix horfes, rangedtwo by two, followed for parade. Hfe was attended by four huffars, and the Armenianaccoutred with his bow and quiver, who continually ffiouted and waved his hand withthe ftrongeft expreffions of tranfport; he occafionally galloped his horfe clofe to the
* Wooden houfes are by many perfons in this country fuppofed to be warmer and more wholefome thanthofe of brick and ftone, which is the reafon why feveral of the .Ruffian, nobility chufe that part of the houfewhich they inhabit themfclves, to be conftru&ed with wood.
f In the court-yard I obferved feveral fheep of this fpecies ranging about the ftables, fo perfeftly tame,that they fuffered us to ftroke them. They are almoft as large as fallow deer, but with much fhorter legs :they have no horns, long flowing cars, and inftcad of tails, a large bunch of fat, fometimes weighing thirty.pounds. Mr. Pennant has given an engraving of thefe lheep in his Hiftory of Quadrupeds, which he has.■accompanied with an accurate defcription.
carriage,