JOURNEY FROM St. PETERSBURG TO TZARITZIN. 5

when the whole furface is covered with fnow; they are Hillmore confpicuous on the heights near the rivulets Cholova andPolomet, prefenting,, with the tall fir-trees growing on theirtops, an uncommonly picturefque winter landfcape : one ofthefe hillocks is reprefented in a Vignette prefixed to thiswork.—On the heights between the rivulet Cholova and thelake Vertanetz, I difcovered the firft fepulchral hillock worthyof notice, two verfts from the little village Bolotnitza, fituatednear the Cholova. The three larger hillocks of this groupappear almoft in a line from North to South. About the dif-tance of a verft northwards, the lake Vertanetz takes its rife jit is furrounded by fir-trees like a garland, and empties itfelf intothe Cholova, which unites at length with the river Mfta. Thefehillocks which we pafied, were on the left of the winter-road.

Onarifingground which wegraduallyafcended,afhort diftancefarther to the fouthward of the lake, and on the rightof our road,about one verft from the village Rachino, we met with the fourhillocks reprefented in the vignette, and which, together withthe tolerably large fir-trees and underwood, formed an appear-ance much too pidturefque to pafs unnoticed. Thofe on thenorthern and fouthern fide were the largeft ; and feveral otherfepulchral hüls were fcattered on the coaft of the lake Vertanetz,but inacceflible, on account of the deep fnow with which theywere covered.

Befides thefe, we obferved on the heights near the villageSomenka, fix fmaller fepulchral hillocks, irregularly fcattered,having alfo a very pleafing effect on the eye : and on the moftconfpicuous height, behind which we crofled the river Polo-met that flows through an abrupt dale, our attention was again

engaged