Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 1, 1851).djvu/135

Rh lovski, which the grand-prince had appointed for his residence, and which had been prepared very hastily with all necessary furniture and conveniences. An officer, named Ostan, called in Russian podietchi, which means under-secretary, and who was charged with his daily provisions, was allotted to him at the same time. His daily provisions were a large piece of beef, a piece of bacon, a live sheep, one live and one dead hare, six live fowls, vegetables, oats, and once a week, as much salt, pepper, and saffron, as he required; also fish, especially large dried sturgeon; together with a bottle of brandy, three different sorts of mead, and two sorts of beer. According to the season the fish were delivered frozen, but on one occasion when Herberstein sent to get live fish with his own money, it was considered an affront, and from that time he was supplied with live fish.

Herberstein himself says that they placed persons in the house who were considered noble, and whose office it was to keep close watch that nobody should come or go without their knowledge. The general cause of this precaution was to be ascribed to the spirit of the times, but Herberstein himself had partly caused it by an inadvertence which he lays to his own charge. He had been very anxious to gain all the information he could respecting Moscow; he began to do this, as he himself acknowledges, too early, and even on the day of his arrival he made various inquiries of his interpreter, and told him that such information would be very interesting to his countrymen. At the same time he offered to give him informa-