Though not Oriental, it has a peculiar character of its own, whilst all the others--Simbirsk, Samara, Saratof--are as uninteresting as Russian provincial towns commonly are.

The full force and solemnity of that expression will be explained in the sequel.
Probably about sunrise on the third day something like a range of mountains will appear on the horizon.

It may be well to say at once, to prevent disappointment, that in reality nothing worthy of the name of mountain is to be found in that part of the country.

The nearest mountain-range in that direction is the Caucasus, which is hundreds of miles distant, and consequently cannot by any possibility be seen from the deck of a steamer.

The elevations in question are simply a low range of hills, called the Zhigulinskiya Gori.