Occasionally potatoes could be got, and afforded the possibility of varying the bill of fare.
The favourite materials employed in the native cookery are sour cabbage, cucumbers, and kvass--a kind of very small beer made from black bread.
None of these can be recommended to the traveller who is not already accustomed to them.
The remainder of the journey was accomplished at a rather more rapid pace than the preceding part, for the road was decidedly better, though it was traversed by numerous half-buried roots, which produced violent jolts.

From the conversation of the driver I gathered that wolves, bears, and elks were found in the forest through which we were passing.
The sun had long since set when we reached our destination, and I found to my dismay that the priest's house was closed for the night.

To rouse the reverend personage from his slumbers, and endeavour to explain to him with my limited vocabulary the object of my visit, was not to be thought of.

On the other hand, there was no inn of any kind in the vicinity.

When I consulted the driver as to what was to be done, he meditated for a little, and then pointed to a large house at some distance where there were still lights.