A wide column being reserved for his complaints

At distances varying from ten to twenty versts, (the Russian verst being about two-thirds of a mile,) are post-houses, which consist usually of two or three good rooms, attached to a peasant's house, and furnished with a stove, beds, &c, for the use of travellers. Here is kept a "Dag-bok," on the first page of which is a table of the distance and charge for each horse to the first station in every direction. The following pages are ruled in columns with suitable headings, for the traveller to enter his name, where he is from, whither going, and the number of horses he requires; a wide column being reserved for his complaints, if he has any to make. The regulations for travelling are hung up on the walls, and also a tariff of the prices, revised every six months, at which the wants of the traveller must be supplied, every post-house being also his hostelry or inn for the time being, if required. To the post-house, the neighbouring farmers must each in rotation send a horse, one of their small country carts without springs, and a man or boy, to the number of twelve in most country places, besides holding others in reserve in the neighbourhood. The charge is four copeks silver, (the copek is one-hundredth part of a ruble silver, which is equal to about three shillings and two-pence of our money,) per horse, per verst, for the first stage out of every town ; and .two copeks and a half for every other stage throughout the country. For the use of the cart, if required, the charge is two copeks for ten versts; the post-boy usually gets a gratuity of two copeks per stage.

Report of a visit to Finland, in the autumn of 1856