This story amused the children much, and they would gladly have listened to Mr. Barraud while he related some other extraordinary tradition, but his reply to their request silenced these wishes.

“Every place,” said he, “throughout this wild country has a legend:  were I to tell you all, there would be no time for business.  I merely selected this because it is concerning a town situated on the shores of the Caspian Sea, and gives you a tolerable idea of the superstition of its inhabitants.”

MR. WILTON.  “The Caspian extends about 700 miles in length, and 200 in breadth.  The northern shores of this sea are low and swampy, often overgrown with reeds; but in many other parts the coasts are precipitous, with such deep water that a line of 450 fathoms will not reach the bottom.  The best haven in the Caspian is that of Baku; that of Derbent is rocky, and that of Sensili not commodious, though one of the chief ports of trade.”

DORA.  “The Whang-hai, or Yellow Sea, on the coast of China, contains several islands,—­Tebu-sou, Lowang, Tsougming, Vun-taichan, Fouma, and Stanton’s Island.  By the Straits of Corea we can enter the Sea of Japan, sail along by the great Japan Islands, the principal of which are Niphon, Kinsin, and Sikokf, and, passing the Jesso Isles, go through the Channel of Tartary, and enter the Sea of Ochotsk or Lama.”

MRS. WILTON.  “A very good route, Dora, but rather too expeditious to be advantageous.  These islands and seas are connected with many interesting facts.  And why pass the Island of Sagalien without a glance?  I am sure, could you have seen one of the people, your attention would have been sufficiently arrested to stay your rapid flight o’er land and sea.  The Sagaliens are similar in many respects to the Tartar tribes.  Their dress is a loose robe of skins, or quilted nankeen, with a girdle.  They tattoo their upper lip blue.  Their huts or cabins of timber are thatched with grass, with a fire-place in the centre.  The native name of this large island is Tehoka.

“Between Japan and Mantchooria is the great peninsula of Corea, remarkable for the coldness of its climate, although in the latitude of Italy.  We are told that in the northern parts snow falls in so large quantities as to render it necessary to dig passages under it in order to go from one house to another.  It is supposed that the surface of this country being so extremely mountainous is the cause of this curious climate.  There are numbers of ponies here not more than three feet high!”

GEORGE.  “Oh what sweet creatures! how very much I would like to have one; actually not larger than a dog:  how very pretty they must be.”

EMMA.  “Around the three great islands of Japan, I observe countless numbers of little ones,—­are they in any way connected with Japan?”

MR. WILTON.  “Yes, my dear; they all belong to the kingdom of Japan.”

EMMA.  “And what sort of people are the Japanese?”