. In joyful Russia. I may addthat all our fishing was done—as it always is in that partof the world—with spinning bait. Perhaps the four fish that of all the known varietiesof finny life afford their captors the least sport are thefour that are by all the world conceded to be the choicestthat swim in Eussian waters—^the sterlet, the sig, thesoodak, and the sturgeon. The perfection of the sterletis so dependent upon its size and freshness that in manyof the crack restaurants of Moscow, and of a few othercities that are near enough to the Volga, a great marblebasin forms the centre of the dining
. In joyful Russia. I may addthat all our fishing was done—as it always is in that partof the world—with spinning bait. Perhaps the four fish that of all the known varietiesof finny life afford their captors the least sport are thefour that are by all the world conceded to be the choicestthat swim in Eussian waters—^the sterlet, the sig, thesoodak, and the sturgeon. The perfection of the sterletis so dependent upon its size and freshness that in manyof the crack restaurants of Moscow, and of a few othercities that are near enough to the Volga, a great marblebasin forms the centre of the dining-room. This basinis three quarters filled with limpid water—water in whichgreat aquatic plants dwell—^plants between whose splen-did leaves magnificent sterlet dart, lifting now and againtheir shapely heads to catch the spray falling from thefountain that with a slim, straight, and then gracefullyfalling shaft of water punctuates the small pools Russian gourmet who is old enough and the Eussian. A peasant of the better class. THE BREAKINa OF RUSSIAN BREAD. 43 gourmet who is young enough to take a keen satisfac-tion in the display of his gastronomical judgment andexquisite taste goes to the marble brink of this artificiallake and nets his own sterlet. The waiter hands him anet, fanciful of handle and silken of web. He grasps it,looks critical, then wise, and thrusts it into the pool. Ifhe is lucky he brings up a fish. If not, he tries sooner or later he captures his prey, with a gestureof triumph he hands his net to the attendant and hieshim to his potage. Almost before his soup is removedthe sterlet is brought to him, dressed in any way he hasordered, and cooked to perfection. I noticed that mostof the travellers dining at the Moscow restaurants likedto net their own sterlet. I did it once. But it was stupidsport, and after that I always left the selection of my fishto the waiter, who understood what I did not—^which werethe choice specimens. D
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