Empress's Winter Garden contain rare plants and flowers; the Romanoff Gallery contains the portraits of all the sovereigns of that house, and their wives, since Michael Fedorovitch. Near the entrance of this gallery, on the right, is a green curtain, behind which is a tablet inscribed with the rules drawn up by the Empress Catherine to be enforced at her conversazione at the Hermitage. The JEWEL-ROOM Contains, among other objects, the Imperial crown, sceptre, and ball. The sceptre contains a diamond, weighing 194 carats, which was

to the end of January, from 10 to 3. It adjoins the Winter Palace. It was commenced in 1765 by the Empress Catherine, as a retreat from the cares of public life, and was reconstructed 1840-50. The façade is adorned with busts and statues of celebrated men of all nations. A splendid staircase leads to the first story. The Museum of the Hermitage is composed chiefly of three celebrated collections-those of M. Crozat, Lord Walpole, and part of the paintings of the Choiseul collection. It contains about 1650 paintings of all schools. Among

others are 20 by Murillo, 6 by Velasquez, 60 by Rubens, 34 by Van Dyck, 40 by Teniers, 41 by Rembrandt, 50 by Wouvermans, 9 by Paul Potter, 40 by Ruysdael, and 40 by Snyders.

The Museum contains also 18,000 designs by great masters, 100,000 engravings, 10,000 engraved stones, vases, &c. &c.

The Taurida Palace is only remarkable for a ball-room of the extraordinary dimensions of 320 ft. long by 70 ft. wide, and requiring 20,000 wax candles to light it up completely. The Annitchkoff Palace, on the Nevsky Prospect, near the Fontanka Canal, closes the brilliant range of buildings of which that street is composed; it was the favourite residence of the Emperor Nicholas, and is now the residence of the Crown Prince.

The Michael Palace, built by the Emperor Paul, is considered to be the most elegant building in the city. It is now a School of Engineers.

The Marble Palace, a beautiful edifice, was constructed in 1790-83 for Gregory Orloff, the favourite of Catherine. It contains many elegant apartments. Its English garden is worthy a visit.

The ADMIRALTY is an immense brick building, surmounted by a slender tower with a gilt cupola. The main part of the building lies parallel to the river on its north side, but has its principal façade on the south, facing the square. The length of this façade is nearly half a mile; and at right angles to it are two sides, each 650 ft. in length. Immediately below the Admiralty, lining the Russian quay, are the extensive dockyards; and in the immediate vicinity are the Hótel de l'Etat Major, or head department of the army, adorned with a

triumphal chariot; and the Waroffice, conspicuous by its profusion of gigantic columns.

The Citadel, with its bastions and bristling embrazures, mounted with 100 cannon, and defended by a garrison of 3,000 men, forms a very conspicuous object; it contains within its enclosure the Mint.

Near to the latter is the wooden COTTAGE OF PETER THE GREAT, consisting of three small apartments, and containing, among other relics, the boat which he constructed.

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS. The Imperial Library occupies a large building, near the Kazan Church, facing the Nevsky Prospect. It contains 400,000 printed volumes, and about 15,000 MSS.

The libraries of the Academy of Sciences, Hermitage, and Alexander Nevsky Monastery, also possess fine collections, and some MSS. of great variety and value.

The principal museums are those of the Academy of Sciences, occupying a large portion of the magnificent buildings on the Vasiliostrov, opposite to the Admiralty, and which include an Asiatic museum, rich in all kinds of Eastern curiosities, and an Egyptian museum, with a few fine specimens of papyrus; a museum of natural history, containing an admirable collection of birds, and, among the larger fossil animals, of which Siberia furnishes numerous specimens, a mammoth perfect (with the exception of one of the hind feet), 16 ft. long, and at least 2 ft. higher than the elephant. The Hermitage Museum has been already mentioned.

The other important collections are the Romanoff Museum, and the museum attached to the Mining

School.

THEATRES. In addition to the theatre of the Hermitage, there are three of large dimensions, the Bolskoi or Great Theatre, the Alexander Theatre, and the French Theatre. The three are under the immediate management, and kept up at the expense of the Govern

ment.

PUBLIC MONUMENTS. Two of these are particularly deserving of notice. The one is the equestrian statue of Peter the Great, by Falconet; and the other, the column by Montferrand, erected in honor of the late Emperor Alexander. The statue, situated near the southern extremity of the Isaac bridge, facing the Neva, represents the emperor with head uncovered, and encircled by laurel, in the act of mounting a rock, one hand holding the reins, while the other is calmly outstretched as in the act of benediction.

The Alexander column stands in the open space between the Etat Major and the Winter Palace, and is the greatest monolith_of modern times. It consists of a single shaft of red granite upwards of 80 ft. high, and computed to weigh nearly 400 tons, placed on a pedestal composed of an enormous block of the same red granite, about 25 ft. square, and surmounted by a capital formed of Turkish cannon, above which the statue of an angel, 14 ft. high, and of a cross 7 ft. high are placed. The height of the whole is 150 ft.

THE SUMMER GARDENS are the favourite promenade of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg. They are one mile long by half a mile in breadth, and are handsomely wooded and ornamented with statues, &c. In these gardens, in the Summer Palace in which Peter the Great resided, a few articles of furniture used by him are still preserved.

St. Petersburg, having been founded by Peter the Great in the beginning of the 18th century, is entirely modern, and has nothing so remarkable in its history as the rapidity with which, in spite of natural disadvantages, it has advanced to its present magnitude and splendour. Instead of being situated in the heart of a beautiful and fertile district, the whole country around, when not forest or swamp, consists chiefly of moorland waste, or of poor arable land.

Peter the Great however was not the man to be daunted by ordinary difficulties. Even in his reign St. Petersburg not only received the name, but assumed the appearance of a great capital. Its progress was not very rapid under his immediate successors, who were disposed to give Moscow the preference; but his later descendants, counting it an honour to follow in his steps, have carried on their embellishments on a scale of almost unexampled magnificence, and none of the oldest and proudest of European cities have much to boast of when brought into comparison with St. Petersburg.

ST. PETERSBURG TO PETErhof.

About 18 miles; 1st class, 85 c.; 2nd, 70 c.; 3rd, 35 c.

The situation of Peterhof is remarkably beautiful. The terrace commands a fine view of St. Petersburg and Cronstadt in the distance, while directly below are the grounds laid out with shady groves, statues, and ornamental pieces of water. The Palace, built by Peter the Great, after the designs of Leblond, comprises spacious and beautiful chambers, adorned with a profusion of marbles and malachites, and possess

ing a collection of 368 portraits of beautiful Russian girls, in their national costume, painted for Catherine II. The gardens and park contain numerous fountains; one of them, representing a colossal group called Sampson, throws a jet of upwards of 120 ft.; others form various devices, in marble and gilt bronze; the smaller fountains play every day during the residence of the court. In the gardens are the buildings styled Marly and Mont Plaisir, the Hermitage, celebrated for its diningroom, the table in which is served without the presence of any domestic; and the cottage of the Empress Catherine, very plain without, but beautifully decorated internally. On the rare

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sions, when fêtes are held, which extend over three days, the fountains are illuminated. Some distance from Peterhof are situated, Ropscha, another imperial residence; Znamensky, belonging to the Grand Duke Nicholas; Michailofsky, the seat of the Grand Duke Michael; and the Castle of Narischkine.

ST. PETERSBURG TO CRONSTADT.

The distance is about 20 miles. Cronstadt is a fortified town of 48,000 inhabitants, and a garrison of 15,000 troops, situated on the island of Kottlin, and forming the port and suburb of St. Petersburgh. It was founded by Peter the Great, and considerably enlarged and strengthened by the Emperor Nicholas. The fortifications are of brick, faced with granite. The arsenals and docks are very spacious; the rade, the principal station of the Russian fleet, can accommodate 30 vessels. The quays are magnificent, and are constructed of solid granite. Vessels of very great tonnage

usually disembark part of their cargo at Cronstadt before entering the Neva to proceed to St. Petersburg.

ROUTE 153.

ST. PETERSBURG TO
MOSCOW.

400 miles; 1st class (express) 19 r.; 2nd, 13 r.; 3rd 10 r.

HE principal stations are very comfortably arranged, the buffets are numerous, and well supplied with refreshments, and a suitable time is allowed for obtaining them. Passing Kolpino (15 miles), we reach LUBAN (51 miles), where a delay of half an hour takes place. At Tehudov we cross the Volkhof, which flows from Lake Ilmen into Lake Ladoga. This is the station in winter for Novogorod the Great; the rest of the journey being made on sledges; in summer the steamersstart from Volkhova, on Lake Ilmen. At Malo Vyshera (100} miles), (Buffet), we cross the Msta. A ravine, near the station,. is spanned by a handsome iron bridge. Okulofka (145 miles), (Buffet). A little to the left of the station of Valdai (1754 miles) is Valdai, a town of 4,000 inha bitants, situated on a lake of the same name, at the base of wellwooded hills, from which the Dwina, the Volga, and the Volkhof derive their sources. Bolo

(195) miles), (Buffet). Vischni-Volotchok (210 miles) is a place of 14,000 inhabitants situated on the Tsna. Spirova (243 miles), (Buffet). Ostashkof (255miles) is the station for Torjok, a town of 16,000 inhabitants, chiefly engaged in the manufacture of

gold and silver embroidery. We next reach TVER (296 miles), (Buffet), population 26,000. It is situated at the confluence of the Tvertsa and the Volga, and is the seat of the government of the same name. Founded in 1182, the capital of a principality in the 13th century, it was re-united to Russia in 1490. The Cathedral was restored in 1682. The Church of the Trinity, built in 1584, is a specimen of ancient Russian architecture. A considerable trade is carried on here in corn, and in iron, from the mines in the Ural mountains.

Steamers sail regularly on the Volga to Nijni-Novgorod, Saratoff and Astrakan.

Passing Klin (5,000 inhabitants) and Krukova station, whence the monastery of the New Jerusalem or Voskresenski may be visited (14 miles), we reach Moscow (400 miles), (Hotels: Dusaux, Chevrier, de Dresde), population 380,000. This city, the ancient capital of Russia, and formerly the residence of the Czars, is situated in a fertile district on the Moskva.

Previously to its being burned in 1812, Moscow was, perhaps, the most irregularly-built city in Europe, and this description of it will, to a large extent, hold good at the present day. Its incongruities of architecture are, however, less conspicuous than they formerly were, when the flames of the Russian capital exerted so fatal an influence over the destinies of the first Napoleon.

The general view of the town, especially that obtained from an eminence on its southern side, I called the Sparrow Hills, is eminently original and picturesque.

In the heart of the city is an inner enclosure, or citadel, the famous Kremlin, a triangle, two miles in circuit, crowded with

palaces, churches, monasteries, arsenals, museums, and other buildings; but in which the Tartar style of architecture, with gilded domes and cupolas, forms the predominant feature.

The KREMLIN.-The REDEEMER'S GATE, (Spasky Vorota) is the sacred gate. Persons are required to uncover their heads in passing through it. It has an old painting, an object of great veneration to all Russians, before which candles are always burning. The Gate of St. Nicholas is also an object of veneration.

The old palaces of the Kremlin were of wood, except the Granovitaia-Palata, and suffered much from the invasions of the Tartars, and from numerous fires. The Kremlin was almost entirely destroyed in 1812. The present PALACE was erected in the reign of Nicholas I., 1838-49. Among its departments are, the Hall of St. George, the walls of which bear in gold letters, the names of soldiers decorated with that order; the Hall of St. Alexander Nevsky; of St. Andrew; St. Catherine, and the banqueting hall, decorated with scenes from Don Quixote. The Terema or Terem, a very interesting part of the Palace, was anciently devoted to the Empress and her children. It consists of four stories, which diminish until the upper floor contains but one room. In the first story are shown the Audience Chamber of the sovereigns. The Terem contains a collection of portraits of the Tsars. The terrace commands a fine view. It was here Napoleon came to contemplate the marvels of the city.

The little Church of the Redeemer contains some rich decorations. Its exterior is remarkable for its twenty cupolas.

The Granovitaia - Palata con