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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 591
he was declared viflor, and the conteft ceafed. During our ftay we witnefled about
twenty fucceflive combats. Some ofthe men were of vait ftrength; but their mode of
fighting prevented mifchief; nor did we perceive any of thofe contufions and fraGtures
in which boxing-matches in England frequently terminate. Both parties were highly
interefted in favour of their refpeétive champions, and feemed at times inclined to en-
ter the lifts in their fupport; but the firft appearance of difpute, or growing heat, was
checked by the Count, who a¢ted as mediator: a kind word, or even a nod from him,
inftantly compofed all differences. When he appeared defirous to put an end to the
combats, they humbly requefted his permiflion to honour them with his prefence a
little longer; upon his affent they bowed their heads to the ground, and feemed as
pleafed as if they had received the higheft favour. The Count is greatly beloved by
his peafants, and their {tern countenances melted into the moft affectionate foftnefs at
his approach.
We made an agreeable excurfion to Mikaulka, the villa of Count Peter Panin, a
Ruffian nobleman of the firft diftinG@ion, who fignalized himfelf in the late war againft
the Turks, by the capture of Bender, and more recently by the defeat of the rebel
Pugatchef. ‘he villa is fituated at the diftance of fix miles from Mofcow, in the midft
of a large foreft. “The Count originally purpofed to raife a grand edifice of brick, after
a defign of his late wife; but on her death abandoned this project, and contented him-
felf witha comfortable wooden houfe at the extremity of his grounds, which he firft
erected only as a temporary habitation. His offices, ftables, coach-houfes, dog ken-
nels, lodgings for huntfmen and other menial fervants, form two long rows of detached
wooden buildings, all with uniform fronts neatly painted. The grounds are agreeably
laid out in the ftyle of Englith parks, with gentle flopes, {pacious lawns of the fineft ver-
dure, {cattered plantations, and a large piece of water fringed with wood.
We could not avoid feeling extreme fatisfaction at obferving that the Enelifh ftyle of
gardening had penetrated even into thefe diftant regions. The Englifh tafte, indeed,
can difplay itfelf in this country to great advantage, where the parks are extenfive, and
the verdure, during the fhort f{ummer, uncommonly beautiful. Moft of the Ruffian
nobles have gardeners of our nation, and refign themfelves implicitly to their direction.
The Count, whois fond of country diverfions, hada pack of hounds chiefly of the Eng-
lifh breed, confifting of an indifcriminate mixture of harriers, ftag and fox-hounds, fe.
lected without regard to fize or fpecies. With this fame pack he hunted wolves, deer,
foxes, and hares. | He poflefled likewife a fine breed of Ruffian greyhounds, in high
eftimation for their fwiftnefs; they are fhaggy and wire-haired, and fome are taller than
the largeft breed of Newfoundland dogs.
The Count entertained us with a moft fumptuous dinner: we were particularly {truck
with the quantity and quality of the fruit in the defert: pines, peaches, apricots, grapes,
pears, cherries, which can rarely in this country be obtained without the affiftance of
hot-houfes, were ferved in the greateft profufion*. There was a delicious fpecies of
fmall melon, which was fent by land carriage from Aftracan to Mofcow, though at the
diftance of athoufand miles t. One inftance of elegance which diltinguifhed the defert,
and had a pleafing effect, muft not be omitted: at the upper and lower end of the
* Since my departure from Ruffia, horticulture has been confiderably improved. According to Ritcher,
in his Sketch of Mofcow, pines are reared in great abundance in the hot-houfes about Mofcow, and may
be purchafed for a rouble a piece. I am alfo informed, by an ingenious Dutch gentleman, lately arrived
from Ruflia, that in the country houfe of Prince Gallitzin, he faw grapes nearly ripe in the open air.
+ Thefe melons fometimes coft five pounds a piece, and at other times they may be purchafed in the
markets of Mofcow for lefs than half a crown a piece.
table
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