what could be expected from materials being covered with fnow for fix months which wanted adhesion. or upwards; and the eye, at least my eye was, tired with the unvaried fcene, where nature herself feemed dead for half the year. However, ufe makes even this much more tolerable to the natives, as well as their happy ignorance of better climes; and it is certain they enjoy many advantages which are peculiar to the nature of their fituation. Lord Shelburne was appointed firft commiffioner of the treafury. But the mare difcerning, difinterested, and patristic of the late arrangement knew their mas too well, to deem their fituation, Lowever lucrative and refpectable, any Junger eligible. And whatever farcafms inthefe times of venality, and among the prites of an adminiftration fo notoriany branded with duplicity, may be uttered and infidiously circulated against a kceffion from the cabinet on this occafon, it will be efteemed by the wifeft and beft of the fpecies to the lateft pofte rity, as one of the nobleft facrifices ever made to the injured fhrine of public vir tue. The premier was fingularly gratified by this unexpected event. The parts and virtues of thofe who refigned were not of a fort to conciliate with his. And moft fincerely regret that a fingle atom of the Chatham family thould ever have had the misfortune to share the obloquy his politics are likely to bring on the national counfels. But nothing promised fo complete a remedy to the schifm now effected aligning to Mr. Pitt an oftenfible of fr in administration. The first advantage I fhall mention is the facility of tranfport, and, in confe. quence, exhibition in travelling. Their carriages for the winter feafon, it is well known, are fledges, made with a frame at the bottom fhod with iron like fkates: the friction and refiftance are fo fmall on the ice and hard frozen fnow, that when one pulls one of thefe machines, with a confiderable load on it, on level ground, we feem furprised to find we can move it with almoft as much eafe as we move a boat in hill water. The confequence of this is a cheap and ready communication from one place to another; for a single horfe will draw a great load in proportion to his ftrength; and, in parts diftant from the capital, they do not keep any road with the fledges, but make their way indifferently over rivers and bogs, and fometimes, I am told, they travel by He was accordingly promoted, in June a compafs. It may not, perhaps, be unlut, to be chancellor and under-treasurer worthy obfervation to remark, that the of his majefty's exchequer, and fworn of roads over the rivers near Petersburgh, his majesty's molt honourable privy coun- are fet out by large boughs of fir-trees, cil. The business of this office is peculi planted on each fide, forming an avenue; arly complicated and immenfe. The va- for the tracks of the Carriages are very Pou emoluments it accumulates are e-flight, and thofe foon covered by drifted normous, and make an adequate recompence for the great refponfibility it requires. The form and routine of bufi. nefs, however, depends but little on the chancellor, as it is uniformly carried on by fuch as are bred and appointed for the purpose. His prefent fituation obliges him to be often on his legs. His diction is fingularly pure and claffical. His replies are generally happy, his ideas clear and unembarraffed, his remarks always pertipent, and he often hits the point in debate with precifion and elegance. To a manly and genteel figure he adds a mufal voice and a graceful manner. Advantages peculiar to the Northern Chi mates. (Extraded from Dr. King's Letter to the Bibop of Durbam, on the Climate of Ruffia.) T must be confeffed, the winters feem very long and tedious in thefe northern dimates, the whole surface of the ground Bib. Mag. Jan. 1783. fnow, or a fresh fall. Near the capital, where the traffic is naturally the greateft, the roads are kept in repair in winter with the fame attention as fummer; when a thaw happens to injure them, they are mended with fresh ice laid in the holes, and covered with fnow, and water thrown upon it to freeze again. Such precautions are neceffary, as thofe roads ferve half the year: if the ice on the river be cracked, by a fwell in the water, a bridge of planks is laid over it. It may be added, that the strong northern light, and the reflection of the fnow, generally af ford a light fufficient to travel by, when there is no moon. It is obvions to imagine,,that, with fuch means, wealth and luxury would find out very commodious methods of travelling. The late emprefs Elizabeth had a fledge, which I have seen, made with two complete little rooms in it, in one of which was a bed. I can believe the motion in fuch a vehicle not to be greater than in a fhip, when the fea is tolerably fmooth. The common travel D Ling equipage for perfons of condition, is made large enough to lie at length in, and when the bed or mattress is rolled up, it makes a feat to fit upon. I need not take notice of the great expedition with which people travel, as it is fo notorious, I mean with horfes, for I am unacquainted with those parts where rein-deer are ufed. The accommodations on the road are, indeed, very poor; but travellers want them but little, as they ufually take their provifions with them, and travel by night as well as by day. - Another advantage peculiar to the northern climates is the preferving provisions by the froft. Froft may certainly be looked upon as the best pickle while it ferves; that is, it alters the quality and taste of whatever is preserved by it lefs than any other. It is evident, the three common prefervers, fugar, vinegar, and falt, impart their refpective taftes fo ftrongly, that very few things fo preferved retain the leaft of their natural flavour.Whereas, frost only seems to fix the parts and juices, and by that means to prevent fermentation. I shall mention a fact in proof of this, which I had from my late worthy friend Mr. Swallow, his majesty's conful general in Ruffia. He affured me, that having, one winter, occafion to go from Peterburgh to Moscow, where eels are a great rarity, he ordered fome to be taken before he fet out on his journey, to carry as a prefent; as foon as they were taken out of the water, they were thrown upon the ground to be frozen; they ap. peared to be quite dead, and almoft a piece of ice, they were then packed up in the ufual manner with fnow; and when he arrived at Mofcow, which was in four days, the eels being thrown into cold water, and fo thawed before they were dreffed, difcovered evident marks of life in them, and foon afterwards perfectly recovered. The inference I would draw from this fact is, that freezing does not dilacerate the parts. Veal frozen at Arcbangel, and brought to Petersburgh, is etteemed the fineft they have, nor can it be diftinguith ed at the table from what is fresh killed, being equally juicy. Winter Amusements among the Ruffians. fuch as Holland, Germany, &c. But of all the winter diverfions of the Ruffians, the most favourite, and which is peculiar to them, feems to be that of fliding down a hill. They make a track on the fide of a fteep bill, mending any little inequalities with fnow or ice; then at the verge of a hill, fitting on a little feat not bigger than, and much refembling, a butcher's tray, they defcend with aftonishing velocity. The fenfation is indeed very odd, but to myfelf, for I often had the curiofity to try it, I cannot fay it was agreeable; the motion is fo rapid it takes away one's breath; nor can I give an idea of it, except defiring you to fancy you were falling from the top of a houfe without hurting yourself, in which you would, probably, have some mixture of fear and furprize. The Ruffians are fo fond of this diverfion, that at Petersburgh, having no hills, they raise artificial mounts on the ice on the river Nava for the purpose of fliding down them, particularly on ho~` lidays, and feftival seasons, when all the people, young and old, rich and poor, partake of the fport; paying a trifle to the perfons who conftructed the mount each time they defcend. The late emprefs Elizabeth was fo fond of this diverfion that, at her palace of Zarfko Zello, the had artificial mounts, of a very fingular conftruction, made for this purpose. These have been called, by fome Englishmen who have vifited that country, the Flying Mountains, and I do not know a phrafe which approaches nearer to the Ruffian name. There are five mounts of unequal heights; the first and highest, is full thirty feet perpendicular altitude: the momentum with which they defcend to this carries them over the fecond, which is about five or fix feet lower, juft fufficient to allow for the friction and refiftance, and fo on to the laft, from which they are conveyed by a gentle defcent, with nearly the fame velocity over a piece of water into a little island. Thefe flides, which are about a furlong and a half in length, are made of wood, that they may be used in summer as well as in winter. The procefs is, three or four perfons fit in a little carriage, and one ftands behind, for the more there are in it, the greater the fwiftnefs with which it goes; it runs on caftors, and in grooves, to keep it in right direction, and it defcends with wonderful rapidity. Curious Anecdotes, remarkable Customs, Sc. from Bruce's Memoirs, lately published. Muscovite Robberies and Murders. URDERS are fo frequent in Mofcow, that few nights pafs without general in Ruffia, as in milder climates, M fome. I fome people being found dead in the ftreets in the morning. The robbers go in ftrong parties and kill before they rob; this they do with fo little fear, that they often perform it before the perfon's own door; and the terror of these ruffians is fo great, that none of the neighbours dare at the unhappy victim for fear of being butchered themselves, or at least having their houses burnt. This obliges people who have occafion to go in companies to gether, or have a fufficient guard of fervants on horfeback to attend them. The weapons used by thofe villains is called a dubien, which is a long flick with a round knob at one end, and made heavy with iron, with which they knock a man down dead at one stroke; and if any of them happens to be taken, a good sum of money from the gang they belong to, gets them off: it is even affirmed, that gangs of them were protected by fome of the nobility, who partake of the booty; which affertion I believe not ill grounded. The highways are also much infefted by thefe Rafbonicks, as they are called, which makes it very dangerous travelling in any part of Ruffia; for they have their fpies in the towns, who inform them when any body is to set out on a journey, how they are to be attended, and according to this information, they prepare themfelves for an attack, and way lay them in fome wood through which they are to pass. A gentleman of the name of Knipercron, whofe father had been refident from Sweden before the war, told me, how the czar himself had been attacked in his younger days: his majelty frequented their house very often, and always thewed a great regard for their fa.nly. One even ing the czir intending them a vifit, being only attended by two fervants, the one riding before and the other standing behind the fledge, up comes a fledge with eight Rafbonicks in it, and were just going to faften bis fledge to theirs with a graplingiron, which they commonly make use of on these occasions; but the czar being then young, flout, and vigorous, got up, and feized one of the robbers by the hair of the head, and pulled him out of their fledge; and, keeping his hold, drove out of their reach, dragging the fellow along with him till he reached the refident's houfe, which was not far, and entered to their great furprize, all in a fweat, ftill holding the fellow by the hair. He ordered the gates to be immediately fhut, that Bone of the fervants might go out till he had examined the robber. When the fellow understood that it was the czar they had Ittacked, he fhook and trembled, faying they had known who he was they would not have meddled with him, and then begged he might be put to death, without being put to the torture. To this his majefly confented, on condition he difcovered the rest of his gang, but this the fellow would not do, without a promise of his life and a reward, which was alfo granted him, and he went with a detachment of foldiers to the rendezvous of his companions, and coming to the house he called to them to open the door. On hearing his voice, they directly opened it, and in ruthed the foldiers, and feized not only his feven accomplices, but thirteen others of the fame gang, who were foon after all executed, except the informer. At another time the czar was attacked on his way from Moscow to Novogorod, when he was attended by four fervants only. Going from Twer, he was stopt by a strong party of Rafbonicks, on which he immediately jumped out of his fledge, with a fword drawn in one hand, and a cocked pistol in the other, and told them he was the czar, asking them what they wanted? They replied, they were poor fellows reduced to great want, and as he was their lord and mafter, he was the propereft person to relieve them: he told them he had no money about him to which they answered, if he had, they would take none from him, but defired that he would give them a written order to the governor of Novogorod for what fum he pleafed to beflow upon them, begging that it might be fuch as would relieve them from their ftraits. The ezar then afked them, if one thoufand rubles would be fufficient; and on their saying it would, he wrote an order for that fum payable at fight, and for which they directly dispatched one of their number, who very foon returned with the money: they then obliged the czar to return back to Twer, and to pledge his royal word not to profecute, or ever enquire after them, promifing to amend their lives, and become good subjects for the future. Inftead of proceeding to Novogorod, the czar returned back to Moscow. I cannot omit mentioning what happen. ed in my, own time to two of the Swedish officers, who had been made prifouers at the battle of Pultowa. They were miffing: great fearch was made and much inquiry, but nothing could be heard of them, from which it was concluded they had beca murdered: fome little time after four others difappeared, but were not miffed, till one of them, a captain Horn, returned, thot through the fhoulder with a pittoball; who privately addressed himfelf to a lieutenant of our artillery, who had been his former acquaintance in the Swedish D 2 fervice, fervice, to whom he told the misfortune that had happened to him and his comrades. The lieutenant immédiately informed major general Gunter, of the artillery, what had happened to the Swedish officers, and that the villains informed against were then at a houfe in that part of the town where the artillery men were quartered: the general directly ordered them to be fecured, being four in number. The flory in short was this :—A jew who had embraced the chriftian religion, of the Greek church, and who was an engraver by trade, counterfeited paffports under the chancellor's feal, and agreed with the two first for a fum of money to carry them into Poland, from whence they might safely pass into their own country. In the paffport they were described as two officers going to the army, and each of them with one fervant; they ar rived at the borders of Poland without the leaft interruption or fufpicion, and having paffed by Smolenfo, the jew defired them to write to their companions in Moscow, and inform them with how much fafety they had made their efcape; which they did, recommending the jew as the fittelt perfon they could employ, if any of them inded to get away as they had done. After he had got those letters of recommendation, the jew offered to conduct them a day's journey farther, which they accepted of, and the officers riding together through a wood, congratulating each other on their happy escape, the jew and his companion riding behind them as fervants, took out each a piftol, and aimed fo well, that they fhot both the officers dead, and having plundered them, returned to Moscow, where they entrapped captain Horn, and three others into the fame fnare, by fhewing the letters from thofe who had already made their efcape, and setting out with a passport for four officers, and as many fervants: they alfo arrived on the frontiers of Poland, and riding late at night, the fervants fired and each killed his mafter, except captain Horn, who being shot through the shoulder, fell from his horse, and they thinking him to be dead as well as the reft, went in purfuit of the horses, which had taken fright at the report of the pistols, and ran away: in the mean time, captain Horn recovering himself, made the beft of his way into the wood, where he concealed himself; the villains returning, miffed, and searched for him, but it being then dark, they could not find him, and having plundered the other three, they returned for Mofcow, giving their felves little concern about cap tain Horn, as they concluded he durit not return there to inform against them. The captain, however, to prevent those villains from doing more mifchief, and to get them punished, determined to return; and dif covering himself to a nobleman's fteward near Smolensko, who happening at that time to be fending fome carriages with provifions to his mafter at Moscow, the cap tain took the opportunity and went with them, and on his arrival made the difcovery as has been related. The four vil. lains being fecured, were examined, and confeffed what I have mentioned, but pretended they had done a meritorious action, by deftroying his majesty's enemies, who were endeavouring to make their efcape from prifon. Horn's prefervation was a happy circumstance, for they might have done much mischief if they had not been detected, as they had now also recommendations from the four laft unfortunate gentlemen. The villains were tried, condemned, and all broke alive on the wheel. The czar being informed of these frequent murders and robberies, whereby he was continually lofing many of bis moft useful fubjects, fent the most exprefs and pofitive orders to Knez Romadanofiki, whom he had appointed vice-czar in his abfence, to put an effectual top to these diforders at his peril. The vice czar immediately iffued his orders to all housekeepers and publicans to give in the names of thofe who belonged to their families, and to be anfwerable for every one who lodged under their roof, and on pain of death, to fecure all those who could not give a fatisfactory account of themselves, and difcover all fufpected perfons. The end of every street was barricadoed, and had a guard, and noge were fuffered to appear in the streets at night without a pass from the vice-czar: parties of dragoons were ftationed on all the public roads, and the people in the country were made answerable and liable for those who lodged under their roofs in the fame manner as the inhabitants in the cities. Great numbers were taken, who were executed in a very extraordinary manner, being hung up by one of their ribs on an iron hook, in which torment they lived eight or nine days: Ifaw them hung up by dozens in one day. Thefe executions had fo much the defired effe&t, that one might travel through Ruffia, by day or night, with as much fafety as in any part of the world. Ruffian Marriages. The Ruffians may not marry any one. that is related to them within the fourth generation; those of an equal degree of confanguinity call each other brother and fifter, with the diftinction of firft, fecond and fo on, to the fourth degree; and thof f a higher or lower degree, are called unCes, nephews, &c. with the fame diftincton. At their chriftenings they commonly ve three or four godfathers, with an qal number of godmothers, who, after Etceremony, reckon themfAves so nearly ited that they can' no more marry ach other than if they were children of the fame parents. Images. pecting their images, they fuffer re that are carved or graven, either in their churches or houfes, but fuch only nare painted on wood, in oil colours, by thofe of their own religion. They never will own to have bought their faints, bat go to the god market, and, having chofen a figure they like, depofit the moey for the exchange of it; if the faint maker thinks it not fufficient, he fhoves it back, and the other party is obliged to add more to it, till he is fatisfied. The walls of fair churches are every where full of firm: over the porch of their churches, in the market-place, and over the gates of their cities, you are fure to meet with the picture of fome faint or other; fo that o which way you will, you fee numbers of people croffing themselves with a moft profound inclination of the head, repeatng the Gofpodi Pomilui, or, God have mercy upon me. These images they conder fo abfolutely neceffary, that without them they could not perform their devotion: they are the chief ornament of their hafes, and whoever enters, first pays his ripect to the faint, and then to those of the family. A Ruffian once coming to me with a meffage, looked round about the room for an image, and feeing none, aked me, where is thy God?-I anfwer, in heaven: upon which he immediatewent away without delivering his mefge. I told the general this circumLance, and he directly ordered a faint's picture to be hung up in my room, to preTent giving any farther offence of that kad. Baths. all round, at fome distance one above ano- All Ruffians, of what degree or contion foever, fleep after dinner; fo that out noon, the fhops are fhut up, and e is no more fpeaking with any body an if it was at midnight. They bathe equently: people of quality have their private ones, and bathe twice a week leaft; but the public bathing-places e all built near the fides of the rivers. eir floves are clofe places with furnaces, hich they heat exceedingly, and for the ter raiding of vapour, frequently throw dwater on the stove: there are benches Account of a celebrated French Publication, entitled "Tableau de Paris." mutato nomine, de te THE "I am going to fpeak of Paris; not of its buildings, its churches, its monuments, its curiofities, &c. they have been fufficiently deferihed by others. I thall fpeak of the public and private manners, of the prevailing ideas, of ths prefent li tuations of minds, of all that firikes me in that extravagant collection of customs, foolish or reasonable, but always changing. I fall alfo fpeak of its unbounded tize, |