AFTER trying various methods to extricate the carriage in vain, and without a murmur, though the weather was piercingly cold, and he was dripping wet, he loofened the horses, and yoking them to the hinder part of the carriage, he brought it backwards to dry ground. He endeavoured to pass at another place, and was again foiled; yet he preferved an evenness of temper, which I did not think our nature poffeffed. He did not cease a moment from applying fuch aids as were best adapted to our relief; nor once fhrunk from a chilling wind and rain, which had thrown me into an ague; but severe patience, and an indurance of the rougheft inclemency of weather, are qualities with which the peasant of Ruffia is conftitutionally endowed. Whilst we were ftruggling against this difficulty, which feemed to me remedilefs, a paffenger leading fome horses, faw the embarrassment, and chearfully yoking two of them to the carriage gave us speedy relief.

On the 20th of May, arrived at Moscow, distant from Tanboff three hundred and eighty-four miles and one third. From the Volga to this city, I had not feen any land fo much elevated as to merit the name of a hill, and but few ftones on the ground. The buildings in Ruffia, with an exception of some of the public structures, and houses of the principal people, are compofed of wood, which is so abundant a commodity, that in many places it forms the streets of towns and villages.

In the interior parts of the country, a few of the churches have

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have lately been built of brick, in modern architecture, and fhew a just taste; but the old ones are all of wood, heavy ill shaped fabricks, and hung around with bells of all fizes, which the priests, who seem peculiarly fond of their found, keep in perpetual chime.

Ar every halting-place, I must again notice, the people treated me with invariable civility; inviting me into their houses during the change of horses, and supplying, at a moderate rate, the things which I wanted. The roads in Ruffia, during the dry feafon, are in a good condition naturally; for little labor is beftowed on them; which indeed from the large tracts of intervening wastes would be impracticable. On fome days when the horfes were strong, I have travelled from one hundred and twenty,. to one hundred and thirty miles, over a country on which the eye could perceive no elevation. The intervening rivers I either paffed on floating bridges or ferry boats, there being no fixed bridge on the road from Aftracan to this city.

ON approaching Mofcow, its numerous and lofty ípires* fhooting though extensive plantations, exhibit a view equally picturesque and magnificent. The gardens interfperfed through this city, have given it a more extensive site than is requifite to contain, perhaps, three times the number of its inhabitants, who are computed at three or four hundred thoufand..

I was informed that the fteeples in Mofcow, amount to fixteen hundred.

THE

i THE driver of the carriage conducted me to a German hotel, whose manager, a very affiduous and obliging perfon, spoke the English language fluently, and though he had experienced a variety of fortunes, fome of it very adverse, he had acquired but little knowledge of the world; that is, he was ill qualified to combat its iniquitous practices, or to derive an adequate profit from his profeffion. By a credulity and benevolence of difpofition, he had fallen a prey to many of the foreign adventurers who infest Moscow, among whom I was mortified to fee fome of my own countrymen numbered.

THIS good, fimple publican, being within my knowledge an unique in his profeffion, and as rare objects are the grand purfuit of modern journalists, I could not pass this character without introducing it to your noticè, and I entreat, fhould you ever vifit Moscow, that you will make fearch for this honest German, and after thanking him for his kindness to the Indian, say, that he was very imprudent in depofiting a trust with a person whom he never faw before, nor could reasonably expect to fee again.

DURING the day of my halt, my hoft did not fail to procure me a view of those curiofities, which most attract running travellers at this city, but which having been already minutely described, do not require further illuftration. Yet I must make fome mention of a bell, the largest probably in the world, and expreffive of the inordinate paffion of the Ruffian nation for

this fpecics of fonorous inftrument. It is composed of various metals, even of gold, and filver; the height measures twenty-one feet, four inches and a quarter, the diameter at the base, twenty-two feet, four inches and three quarters; its weight, one hun dred and ninety-eight tons, two hundred and twenty-eight pounds; and its coft is computed at fixty-five thoufand, fix hundred, and eighty-one pounds. A fire many years ago destroyed the building in which it was fufpended, and falling to the ground, where it has fince remained, a piece was broken from its fide.

Moscow though no longer the capital of the empire, hath not felt those symptoms of decay, which are seen to follow the deprivation of fovereign refidence. Aware of the attachment of the ancient nobility of Ruffia to this city, and also that her fpacious dominion required a fecond capital, Katherine hath ftrenuously endeavoured to preferve its former importance; and the institutions which have been established, have centred, it is faid, a greater portion of wealth and commerce in Moscow, than it poffeffed before the removal of the court.

THE fuperior kinds of Russian manufactures are chiefly fabricated in this city from the rough materials, and are transported by water carriage or caravans into the most distant quarters of the empire. An ordinance so falutary will effentially contribute to fix the profperity of Moscow, which is also promoted by the refidence of many of those Ruffian nobles, who are not employed in the immediate fervice of the state. They there in

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dulge that gaiety, diffipation, and pomp, in which they so much delight, at a lefs expence than at the new capital.

MR. ZCHERNICHOFF, the governor-general of Moscow, has acquired in the administration of his office, a general good name, by the establishment of a vigorous police, and bestowing on the city many ornaments. Standing high in favor of the emprefs, whom his family had ftrongly aided in ascending the throne, his defires are confidered as equal to those of the court; and it may be deemed equally conducive to the welfare of Moscow, as that of the nation at large, that a fubject of such zeal and authority has been placed in fo eminent a station. The character of Mr. Zchernichoff deferves the more diftinguished notice, as a shamelefs laxity and corruption are feen to pervade every office and department of this wide empire, to counterpoife its powers and warp the direction of its natural policy.

MR. HANNICOFF having given me a letter to his brother at Moscow, I went to this gentleman's house, where, with much mortification, I faw every thing French. The furniture, the drefs of the family, its manners, and the preceptor of the children were all French. The Ruffian gentry, indeed, from whatever other quarter they have drawn fcience and literature, have received a large portion of their manners from France; and it is evidently feen, that a connection cemented by fo ftrong a partiality, has occafionally attracted Ruffia, from its conflitutional bias, and infused a spirit of policy inimical to its welfare. The

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