I.

CHAP. hardly any interval of spring, but an almost instantaneous transition from winter to summer. The frozen provisions of the city, if not consumed by the appointed time, which may be generally conjectured to a day, almost instantly putrify when the frost disappears.

3

FROM PETERSBURG TO MOSCOW. Departure from Petersburg-Manner of TravellingPalace of Tsarskoselo Gardens-Anecdote of Billings's Expedition to the North-west Coast of America -Ledyard-Barbarous Decoration of the Apartments -Arrival at Novogorod-Cathedral-Antient Greek Paintings-Manner of imitating them in RussiaSuperstitions of the Greek Church-Virgin with Three Hands- tory of her Origin-Russian Bogh.

WE left Petersburg on the morning of the CHAP.

II.

1800.

third of April, and arrived with great expedition at TSARSKOSELO. Our carriage had been Departure placed upon a traineau or sledge; and another from Pe

tersburg.

Travelling.

CHAP. sledge, following us, conveyed the wheels. It II. is proper to describe our mode of travelling, Manner of that others may derive advantage from it. If the journey be confined to countries only where sledges are used, the common method adopted by the inhabitants is always the best; but if a passage be desired with ease and expedition from one climate to another, some contrivance should secure the traveller from the rigours of the seasons, without impeding his progress by superfluous burthen. For this purpose, the kind of carriage called a German bâtarde is most convenient. A delineation of one of these is given in the work of REICHARD', who also mentions the expense of building it in Vienna, where those carriages are made for one-fourth of the money required by the London coachmakers; and they answer every purpose of travelling, full as well as vehicles made in England. The bâtarde is nothing more than an English chariot with a dormeuse, advancing in front, and made sufficiently high to furnish a commodious seat for two persons on the outside, upon the springs. We caused the driver to sit upon the trunk in front; but it would be better to provide for him a little chair raised for that purpose. The door of the dormeuse within

(1) Guide des Voyageurs en Europe, tom. ii. planche 1.

II.

the carriage lets down upon the seat; it contains CHAP. leathern cushions, and a pillow covered with thin leather. The carriage has, besides, an imperial, a well, a sword-case which may be converted into a small library, and, instead of a window behind, a large lamp, so constructed as to throw a strong light without dazzling the eyes of those within. Thus provided, a person may travel night and day, fearless of want, of accommodation, or houses of repose. His carriage is his home, which accompanies him everywhere; and if he choose to halt, or accidents oblige him to stop in the midst of a forest or a desert, he may sleep, eat, drink, read, write, or amuse himself with any portable musical instrument, careless of the frosts of the North, or the dews, the mosquitoes, and vermin of the South. Over snowy regions, he places his house upon a sledge, and, when the snow melts, upon its wheels; being always careful, where wheels are used for long journeys through hot countries, to soak them in water whenever he stops for the night.

Setting out from Petersburg for the South of Russia, the traveller bids adieu to all thoughts of inns, or even houses with the common necessaries of bread and water. He will not even find clean straw, if he should speculate upon

II.

CHAP. the chance of a bed. Every thing he may want must therefore be taken with him. A pewter tea-pot will prove of more importance than a chest of plate; and more so than one of silver, because it will not be stolen, and may be kept equally clean and entire. To this he will add, a kettle; a saucepan, the top of which may be used for a dish; tea, sugar, and a large cheese, with several loaves of bread made into rusks, and as much fresh bread as he thinks will keep till he has a chance of procuring more. Then, while the frost continues, he may carry frozen food, such as game or fish, which, being congealed, and as hard as flint, may jolt about among his kettles in the well of the carriage without any chance of injury. Wine may be used in a cold country; but never in a hot, or even in a temperate climate, while upon the road. In hot countries, if a cask of good vinegar can be procured, the traveller will often bless the means by which it was obtained. When, with a parched tongue, a dry and feverish skin, he has to assuage his burning thirst with the bad or good water brought to him, the addition of a little vinegar will make the draught delicious. Care must be taken not to use it to excess; for it is sometimes so tempting a remedy against somnolency, that it is hardly possible to resist using the vinegar without any mixture of water.