inland, and crossing the Bug river, to the heights of Nikolaief, the chaise reached that town easily by midday on the 28th of August.
Three hours' rest was allowed for breakfast, &c., and Ahmet took the opportunity to write to Selim, the banker, telling him of the journey so far, and sending all kinds of messages to Amasia. Seigneur Kéraban occupied himself congenially in drinking coffee, and smoking. Van Mitten and Bruno explored the town, whose prosperity threatens to outdo its rival Kherson, and to usurp the title of the district from it.
Ahmet was the first to give the signal for departure. The Dutchman did not keep him waiting. Kéraban gave a last puff to his narghileh, as the postillion mounted his horse, and the carriage rolled away to Kherson.
There were seventeen leagues to travel across an uninteresting country. Here and there were a few mulberry-trees, poplars, and willows. As they approached the Dneiper, the course of which is terminated at Kherson, the travellers came upon long expanses of ground, planted with tall reeds, which appeared to be covered with the cornflower. But at the approach of the chaise, these "cornflowers" took to themselves wings, and proved to be blue jays, whose discordant chattering was as disagreeable to the ear as their beautiful colours were pleasant to the eye.
At daybreak on the 29th of August, Seigneur Kéraban and his companions reached Kherson without incident. Kherson is the chief seat of government, the foundation of which is due to Potemkin. The travellers could not but congratulate this creation of the imperial favour of Catherine II., for they found an excellent hotel, where they stopped several hours, and some good shops, where they were enabled to replenish their stock of provisions—a duty which Bruno, much sharper than Nizib, performed to a marvel.
Some hours later they changed horses at Aleschki, and descended towards the isthmus of Pérékop, which unites the Crimea to Russia.
Ahmet had not neglected to send a letter to Selim from Aleschki, and when the travellers were again seated in the
