. The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across t the raids, and the people were forcedto rely upon themselves for protection. In what way could they do anything against the robbers? was thevery natural query that followed this statement. Their villages are built of mud, and may be called forts, the Doctorreplied. The walls are from twenty to thirty feet thick, and about fortyin height; they form a quadrangle, or circle, where cattle can be drivenat night, and there is only a single door
. The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across t the raids, and the people were forcedto rely upon themselves for protection. In what way could they do anything against the robbers? was thevery natural query that followed this statement. Their villages are built of mud, and may be called forts, the Doctorreplied. The walls are from twenty to thirty feet thick, and about fortyin height; they form a quadrangle, or circle, where cattle can be drivenat night, and there is only a single door-way, too low to permit the pas-sage of a man on horseback. The raiders never stop to besiege a place;all their work is done by a sudden dash, and the Turcoman would never 438 THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE. think of dismounting to pass the low door-way. Inside there is a stonedoor which may be closed to prevent ingress; it is thick and strong, andonce inside of their mud village the people are safe. Here is a picture of one of these villages, said the Doctor; it iscalled Lasgird, and is about a hundred miles east of the capital of LASGIHD A FORTIFIKD VILLAGE IN NORTHERN PERSIA. You will observe that there is a double tier of dwellings on the top of thecircular w^all; the enclosed space accommodates the cattle and other live-stock of the village, and is also utilized for the storage of grain. On theoutside, near the top, there is a balcony made of projecting timbers cov-ered with l)ranches of trees ; it has no outer railing, and must be a veryunsafe place for a promenade. Inside of such a retreat the people hadnothing to fear, as the Turcomans have no artillery and did not care tostay long enough to batter down the walls. Fi-ed remarked that it must be difficult for those at work in the fieldsat any distance to get to the village before they were overtaken by theraiders on their swift horses. So it is, was the reply, and to further protect themselves they had
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