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VERNAL JOURNEY TO ASTRAKHAN.

edge of a precipice formed by glens or banks, becaufe this partof the height fooneft becomes dry in fpring. But as the froftof winter, and the fubfequent rains of fpring, loofen pieces ofthefe banks, fcarcely a year elapfes without dangerous accidentsoccurring to travellers, infomuch that fometimes men, horfes,and waggons are precipitated with the falling bank down thefteep. An accident of this kind happened the preceding yearto an inhabitant of Sarepta ; but he had the good fortune tofave his life together with that of his horfe, though the cart wasfhattered to pieces.

About eighteen verfts farther the new village of Popovitzkaya^or Raigorodok, is fituated at a fmall diftance from the ancientpoft of Popovifka, and inhabited by the burghers of Tzaritzin,who formerly were fcattered over this dry region. We left theVolga at this place, and travelled over a flat fteppe, on whichwe obferved many fepulchral hillocks. Here, as in the wholeof this country in general, the mountain-mice notwithftandingtheir fmall fize, have thrown up the earth in confiderable heaps.On our journey weftward from this place towards the Sarpa,we-were informed that about feven verfts from Popovitzkayathere were feveral fepulchral elevations, or Kurgani, vaulted withbricks. Thefe the peafants break up, and carry away to maketheir ftoves. After leaving this field of death, we again ap-proached the Volga, and paifed the Peftfhanaya Balka, or fand-pit, towards Yerfhova Vataga, and Nafoniftfhef Yar, where aftore-houfe of fifh is eftablifhed. The hip-bone of an elephant,and feveral ivory teeth have lately been found here, on a pre-cipice of the bank. A Kalmuk brought me an imperfecT; grinderof an old elephant, which he had found in a glen of the

fteppe.