whatever are there such glaring contrasts between indigence and luxury, as in almost every one of Western Europe; though, it is true, the difference between the rude simplicity of the one and the superabundance of the other is striking enough. That evil spirit which prompts men to covet the goods possessed by others has not yet awoke in the common people of Russia. They have wherewithal to satisfy the cravings of hunger, though it be but humble cabbage and coarse bread; and they dress decently, if only in sackcloth and sheepskins. Private Residences of St. Petersburg-Among the private houses there are many which, for the number and extent of the courtyards and the magnitude of the different wings, are little inferior to the Imperial Palace in Vienna. Among many hundred others, I was acquainted with one, for example, the rez-de-chaussé of which formed on one side a bazaar, where the thousand wants of this earthly life might be supplied, while on the other a row of German, English, and French artists and artisans had hung out their show-boards. In the bel étage resided two senators, and the families of several wealthy private individuals. In the second story there was a school, which had a high reputation throughout the whole house, and a tolerable number of academicians, teachers, and professors; and in several buildings in the rear dwelt, besides many nameless and obscure people, several majors and colonels, some retired generals, an Armenian priest, and a German minister. All Petersburg around it might have perished, and the inmates of this house could still have formed a complete political community, in which every rank, from the chief consul to the lowest lictor might have been represented. When such a building is burned, two hundred houses become bankrupt at once. To have to seek a family in such a house is a trial of patience not to be equalled, If you ask a butschnik (a policeman stationed in the street) at one end, about an address, he assures you that his knowledge extends no further than the corner of the house next to him, and that he knows nothing whatever of the other side. In these buildings there are dwellings so remote, that all who live under one roof are not disposed to acknowledge one another as neighbours; so that there is not much exaggeratiou in the statement of a traveller who asserts that every house in Petersburg is a town in itself. Many, it is true, do not appear so considerable from the street, because the smallest front is mostly turned towards it. But on entering the podjäsde (the gateway), the extent of the courts, in each of which a cavalry regiment might exercise, and the multitude of buildings, attached and detached, fill you with astonishment. Breaking up of the Ice on the Newa.-This moment is awaited with anxiety; and no sooner have the dirty flakes of ice so far cleared away as to allow a free passage for a boat to cross, than the thunder of the guns of the fortress proclaim the wished-for moment to the inhabitants. At the same time, whether it be day or night, the governor of the fortress, wearing the insignia of his rank and accompanied by his officers goes on board a splendidly-decorated boat, to cross over to the emperor's palace on the opposite side. He takes up some of the clear Newa water in a large handsome crystal goblet, to present it in the name of Spring to the emperor, as the first and fairest gift of the river. He informs his master that the power of Winter is broken, that the waters are once more free, and that a prosperous voyage may be hoped for; he points out the boat that has brought him safely over, the first that has ventured to cross, and hands to him the goblet which the sovereign drains to the health of his capital. Nowhere on the face of the earth is a glass of water so liberally paid for. According to custom, the emperor returns it to the commandant filled with gold. Formerly it was filled to the brim with ducats; but the goblet kept increasing in size, so that the emperors had more and more water to drink and more and more gold to pay the sum was therefore fixed at 200 ducats, which are given to the commandant. The unveiling of the Newa is a remarkable moment. All are impatient for it, as all are interested in it. The merchants await it with anxiety, as the success of many a speculation depends on its earlier or later occurrence; the labourers or carpenters, because it enables them to earn something at bridgebuilding; the ladies of distinction, because, when the Newa and the gulf of Cronstadt are cleared from ice, the Lübeck steamer, with nouveautes and new fashions from Paris, is not long before it arrives; booksellers and literary men, because the intellectual intercourse with Europe is renewed, and they then learn what works the winter quarter has produced; native invalids and foreigners suffering from home-sickness, because the routes to the baths and to Europe are reopened. At this period, only one subject is talked of at Petersburg, whether the Newa will break up on Easter Sunday or Monday, and very large sums are betted on both contingencies. In 1836 there was at Petersburg a man who betted upon every day from the 1st to the 17th of April, and one of these bets amounted to 8000 rubles. As the ice continued till rather late, his cashier had enough to do to provide for all the lost bets. The clearing of the river, which has been buried all the winter beneath the ice, affords an extremely fine sight, when it takes place in clear serene weather. Attracted by the report of the guns, pedestrians throng to the beautiful quays of the Newa to see the gilded barge of the commandant arrive, and no sooner has it landed safely at the quay of the Winter Palace, than the river is covered with hundreds of boats to renew the interrupted communication with the different islands. Use of Ice in Russia.-The Russians have accustomed themselves to use a prodigious quantity of ice for domestic purposes. They are fond of cooling all their beverages with ice; indulge themselves freely in the frozen juices, which are sold all the summer in the streets of all their towns; and drink not only ice-water, ice-wine, ice-beer, but even ice-tea, throwing into a cup of tea a lump of ice instead of sugar. Their short, but amazingly hot summer, would render it difficult to keep all those kinds of provisions which are liable to spoil, if their winter did not afford them the means of preventing the decomposition accelerated by heat. An ice-cellar is therefore an indispensable requisite in every family, and is to be met with not merely in towns, but very generally among the peasants in the country. In Petersburg the number of ice-cellars is nearly 10,000. It may be conceived that the supply of these cellars is no unimportant branch of business. It is certainly not too high a calculation, if we assume that each of those 10,000 cellars requires 50 sledge-loads for its share. Many of the fishmongers, butchers, kwas-dealers, &c., have such large cellars as to hold several hundred loads. The breweries, distilleries, &c., consume enormous quantities of ice. Accordingly, 500,000 loads must be annually obtained from the Newa, and this amount can only be considered as the minimum, for every inhabitant of the city may fairly be reckoned to consume one sledge-load in the course of the year. Ice is the commodity with which most traffic is carried on in the middle of winter. Long trains of sledges laden with ice are then seen coming from the Newa, and thousands of men are engaged on all the arms of the river in collecting the cooling production. The Russians are so accustomed to these ice-cellars, that they cannot conceive how it is possible to keep house without them; and their wives are in the greatest distress when they perceive that they have not laid in a sufficient stock of this necessary during the winter, and that it is likely to run short. It may be assumed that the consumption of ice in Petersburg, the packing in the cellars included, costs the inhabitants from two to three million rubles a year. Correct as clocks and musical as glasses! In fact, a sort of plan, To call out a Militia,-only Vocal And not design'd for military follies, But keeping still within the civil border, To form with mouths in open order, And sing in volleys. Oct.-VOL. LXVI. NO. CCLXII. Whether this grand Harmonic scheme And tend to British happiness and glory, Is more than I pretend to guess- In one of those small, quiet streets, To shun the daily bustle and the noise But Law, Joint-Companies, and Life Assurance In one of those back streets, to Peace so dear, The other day, a ragged wight Began to sing with all his might, "I have a silent sorrow here!" The place was lonely; not a creature stirr'd, Or vagrant cur that sniff'd along, No Pots encumber'd with diurnal beer, Linger'd the tatter'd Melodist to hear- By rumbling cab, and omnibus, and dray, In short, without one instrument vehicular Enough to split the organs call'd auricular! Heard in that quiet place, Devoted to a still and studious race, The noise was quite appalling! To seek a fitting simile and spin it, His voice had all Lablache's body in it; Only a forty-boatswain-power of bawling! 'Twas said, indeed, for want of vocal nous, The stage had banish'd him, when he attempted it, For tho' his voice completely fill'd the house, It also emptied it. However, there he stood Vociferous-a ragged don! And with his iron pipes laid on A row to all the neighbourhood. In vain were sashes closed, And doors against the persevering Stentor, Though brick, and glass, and solid oak opposed Th' intruding voice would enter, Heedless of ceremonial or decorum, Den, office, parlour, study, and sanctorum ; Louder, and louder still, The fellow sang with horrible goodwill, They had to draw; With dreadful incongruities In posting ledgers, making up accounts To large amounts, Or casting up annuities Stunn'd by that voice, so loud and hoarse, Against whose overwhelming force, No invoice stood a chance, of course! |