the extensive wine depots, serve to indicate the preponderance which England possesses over other foreign nations, at Oporto.

On the 29th of March, 1809, Marshal Soult took the city by

assault, and it was sacked and pillaged. On the 12th of May following, the Duke of Wellington surprised the French and took the city from them.

HE empire of Russia embraces more than half the area of the European continent, and comprehends a still vaster region beyond the limits of Europe.

In the direction of north and south, European Russia extends over more than 1,700 miles, and its dimensions from east to west are nearly the same.

Russia, with the exception of the provinces that border on the Caucasus, is nearly a level region. The slight elevations and gentle slopes of the Ural scarcely interrupt the continuity of the vast plain that stretches over nearly half the circumference of the globe. This immense plain is divisible into three belts-a southern, consisting of steppe or prairie land; a middle belt, of alternate forest, morass, and arable land; and a northern region, which embraces only the ice-covered plains that border the Frozen Ocean.

The Ural Mountains constitute a long and narrow mountain system, extending in the direction of the meridian through nearly 18 degrees of latitude. The main crest of the Ural has an average height of from 2,000 to 2,500 ft.

Route 154. Moscow TO NIJNI Nov.

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155. ST. PETERSBURG ΤΟ

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BERLIN, BY WARSAW 683 156. ST. PETERSBURG ΤΟ

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Mount Yaman, which appears to be the highest measured summit, is 5,400 ft. in height; but in the more northerly portion of the mountains, the height does not exceed 3,000 ft., and sinks to less than 1,400 ft. in the latitude of 57 degrees.

On the south-east of the great plain is the lofty_region of the Caucasus, crossed by the Pass of Derbend, and the so-called Military Georgian Road.

The districts in the south-west of Russia, between the Vistula and the Pruth, are covered by hilly ranges from the Carpathian mountains, which in Poland are known as the Sandomir Mountains.

The rivers of European Russia are among the largest that belong to this division of the globe. The entire course of the Volga is within the limits of Russia; the Ural forms part of the border-line between Europe and Asia; the Pruth, which joins the Danube, forms the boundary line of the empire on the side of Turkey; the middle and lower course of the Dniester is through Russian territory, and the Don and the Dnieper are wholly Russian.

Upon the side of the Baltic,

Russia is watered by the Niemen, the Dvina, and the Neva, upon the last of which the capital is situated; while to the northward the plain is watered by the northern Dvina, the Mezen, and the Petchora.

The natural wealth of Russia is considerable, both in the mineral and vegetable kingdoms. The Ural Mountains, which contain almost all the mineral riches of the country, are the principal seat of mining and metallurgic industry. They produce gold, platinum, copper, and iron of excellent quality. Gold, silver, copper, plumbago, &c., are also obtained from the Altai and Nerchinsk mines in Siberia.

The general absence of coal in Russia is in some measure compensated for by the immense forests which are found in most parts of the country.

Russia is throughout characterized by greater extremes of heat and cold than belong to similar latitudes of western Europe. In general, however, the climates of all the regions are not unfavourable to health, and except in particular districts, where the insalubrity can easily be traced to local causes, disease is by no means prevalent.

The total area of the provinces in Europe is 1,992,574 English square miles; and the grand total of Russian possessions in 1870 amounted to 7,210,374 English square miles. According to a census taken in 1864, the population of Russia in Europe amounted to 61,061,801; of Finland to 1,798,909; and of Poland to 5,336,210 souls, giving a total, for the European portion of the empire, of 68,196,920 inhabitants.

MONEY.-100 copecks (1 silver rouble), equal 3s. 2d., or say 78

cents.

ROUTE 152.

WIERZBOLOW

(RUSSIAN FRONTIER) TO ST. PETERSBURG, BY WILNA.

556 miles; 1st class, 25 r. 17 c.; 2nd, 18 r. 88 c.; 3rd, 10 r. 49 c.

IERZBOLOW is only three quarters of a mile from Eydtkulinen (see Route 104). It is the first station on the Russian frontier, and passports and luggage are examined there. (There is a buffet at the station.) After leaving Wierzbolow we pass four stations of no importance, and reach

Kowno (53 miles), population 24,000, situated at the confluence of the Vilia and Niemen. It was near this place that the French army crossed the Niemen in 1812, on the march to Moscow. In the market-place is a monument bearing the following inscription:"In 1812 Russia was invaded by an army of 700,000 men! only 70,000 re-crossed the frontier." The environs are hilly and clothed with wood. (There is a buffet here.) At Landwarow (1063 miles) the line from Warsaw falls in.

WILNA (118 miles), (Hotel: de l'Europe), (Buffet), is a town of 70,000 inhabitants, the ancient capital of Lithuania. It is situated in a valley flanked by ranges of hills, on the banks of the Vilia, and above it rise the ruins of an old castle, with a singular octagonal tower of red brick. This town was totally destroyed by fire in 1715. It contains some handsome churches. The University, founded in 1803, was suppressed in 1832.

Swentsiany (1661 miles), (Buffet), is a town of 4,000 inhabitants, on the Western Dwina. Dunaburg (227 miles), (Buffet), population 27,000, is situated in the province of Witebsk; it possesses a fortress of the first class, constructed in 1825. A branch goes to Witebsk and Riga. There is a buffet at Antonopol (268) miles), at Korsovka (3054 miles), and at Ostroff (3484 miles).

PSKOFF (392 miles), (Buffet) is a very ancient town of 15,000 inhabitants, situated on the Vielika near its entrance into the lake of Pskoff, which forms the southern extremity of Lake Peipus. This lake, subject to frequent storms, is about 40 miles long, and about 15 miles broad at the widest point. The Kremlin, built in 1323, contains the Cathedral, founded in 1682, and since restored; this church is of the Russo-Byzantine style, and possesses numerous ancient and curious statues of saints. There are buffets at Belaia (4283 miles), Luga (4613 miles), and Divenskuia (493 miles). Passports are demanded at GATCHINA (519 miles). Here is the palace presented by Catharine II. to Prince Orloff, and greatly enlarged and beautified by his successors. It

is a fine building, flanked by towers. The gardens and park are extensive and beautifully laid out. About 14 miles before reaching St. Petersburg we pass Tsarskoe-Selo, near which is one of the Imperial palaces, surrounded by woods. The Empresses Elizabeth and Catharine spent large sums on its embellishment. The façade, upwards of 1,200 ft. long, is richly adorned. Formerly the statues, the pedestals, the capitals of the columns and all the mouldings were gilded. They suffered from the severity of many succes

sive winters, and the remainder of the gold was valued, by the contractors who tendered for it, at 2,000,000 roubles (£30,000). The apartments are profusely embellished; they comprise the hall of lapis-lazuli, that of ivory and mother-of-pearl, that of amber; the beautiful Chinese apartment, with walls inlaid and adorned with lacquer; and the magnificent picture gallery. These apartments are reached by staircases of marble. The chapel is splendidly decorated, and covered with gildings. The Arsenal, a Gothic edifice, contains a collection of arms, costumes, and curiosities of every kind, among which may be particularly mentioned a saddle, enriched with gold and diamonds, presented to the Emperor Nicholas by the Sultan after the peace of Adrianople. The Alexander palace, adjoining the arsenal, has its façade adorned with a fine colonnade. The palace gardens are magnificent, and admirably kept. About 500 persons are employed constantly in removing weeds and fallen leaves, and this part of the establishment alone involves a cost of 100,000 roubles annually. Among other objects of interest to be seen in these gardens are the Temple, containing a number of valuable statues; the Swiss Cottage, where the Swiss and Tyrolese cows are kept; the Chinese Village; the Turkish Kiosk, with hanging gardens; and the miniature Admiralty-buildings, with a miniature fleet stationed on an artificial lake. The gardens are open to the public.

ST. PETERSBURG (556 miles), (Hotels: de Russie (Klee's), de France, Demouth, Grand), population 587,000. This is the modern capital of the Russian Empire, and owes its creation entirely to the genius of Peter the Great,