If Dr. Muller had not been so kind as to go
there, I should not have started until the evening. About 7, I got
off--an excellent foretaste of my future progress.
We travelled certainly with speed; but any one who had not a body of
iron, or a well-cushioned spring carriage, would not find this very
agreeable, and would certainly prefer to travel slower upon these
uneven, bad roads.
The post carriage, for which ten kopecs a station is paid, is
nothing more than a very short, wooden, open car, with four wheels.
Instead of a seat, some hay is laid in it, and there is just room
enough for a small chest, upon which the driver sits. These cars
naturally jolt very much. There is nothing to take hold of, and it
requires some care to avoid being thrown out. The draught consists
of three horses abreast; over the centre one a wooden arch is fixed,
on which hang two or three bells, which continually made a most
disagreeable noise. In addition to this, imagine the rattling of
the carriage, and the shouting of the driver, who is always in great
activity urging on the poor animals, and it may be easily understood
that, as is often the case, the carriage arrives at the station
without the travellers.
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