T. PETERSBURGH is built upon several islands formed by the river Neva, and its branches, and is divided into twelve districts. Its diameter is six miles; its circumference exceeds eighteen. It has seventy bridges, some of iron, and wood, but the greater

part of stone. These bridges are

over the branches of the river; but there are no bridges over the Neva itself, as the immense masses

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of ice, which, in the spring float from Lake Ladoga, prevent their erection. In the summer, however, floating bridges are used to connect the city, or the two sides of the river. The Neva is said to be the finest river that flows past any European capital.

A wooden hut, still to be seen, erected by the Great Peter himself, was the commencement of this splendid city. Owing to the zeal of various Russian monarchs, St. Petersburgh has been continually enlarged and embellished, and well deserves the title of "the City of Palaces." The edifices belonging to the crown, and the houses of the wealthy classes are upon a scale of grandeur unequalled elsewhere. The great breadth of the streets adds much to the imposing effect.

The principal building is the Admiralty, on the banks of the river, and 1,400 feet in length. From this spot three principal streets branch out, the largest of which is two miles long. Along the Neva a fine granite quay extends for two miles and a half, raised ten feet above the water, lined with a superb range of public and private mansions, and presenting one of the finest promenades in Europe.

Then there are the Imperial Winter Palace, and the palaces of the Great and Little Hermitage, presenting a continual front of palaces, facing the river and nearly a third of a mile in length. There are several other Imperial residences of which the Marble and the Taurida Palaces are the more celebrated. The palace of the Grand Duke Michael is one of the finest ornament of St. Petersburgh.

I have not time to describe the Government buildings. These are very numerous, spacious, and well managed. Nearly a thousand persons reside in the Etat Major. I must also pass over the magnificent edifices connected with science and the fine arts. The number of churches is considerable ; the Russian Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, is a

very striking object. The charitable institutions are numerous, embracing several military and ́naval hospitals, upon a very large scale and admirably arranged. Yet with all this charity, the entire absence of beggars appears rather surprising.

The object of Peter the Great, in founding St. Petersburgh, was not only to build a capital for his empire, but also to make a mart for its commerce. Both projects have been realised. The extensive water navigation of Russia admits of the produce of her most distant provinces being brought to St. Petersburgh, to be there exchanged for the productions of Western Europe. The internal commerce of the country is entirely in the hands of native merchants; the foreign trade is exclusively conducted by strangers. The mode in which purchases are made by the foreign merchants shows a great reliance upon the honesty of the native traders. Half or more of the value of the goods is paid in advance. With this the Russian sets out for the interior to make his bargains. He is not heard of until the shipping season, in the spring, when he re-appears with the articles already paid for. The principal articles exported from St. Petersburgh, are coffee, flax, hemp, iron, tallow, potash, and deals. balance of trade, that is, the value of exports above that of imports, is greatly in favour of Russia.

The

It is singular that in so splendid a city, the inns are poor and mean. The reason is, the Russians are afraid to indulge themselves in public society, on account of the spies that are always lurking about. They prefer, therefore, to keep at home.

The regulations respecting strangers are not very agreeable. In order to get into the Empire, a traveller must bring a passport signed by some Russian minister, in the country whence he comes. Without this he will be turned back, however far he may have travelled. When once within the frontier, a stranger

must attend to various formalities, and give many presents to the police, in order to enjoy a residence in peace and quietness. But the greatest annoyance is the trouble to get away from Russia. A traveller

wishing to leave the dominions of the Czar, must proclaim his intention to the world, by three successive advertisements in the Government paper. This is in order that anybody may have an opportunity of coming forward, to stop his departure, if any supposed cause exists. After this, he has to fight his way from one office to another, till he reaches the military Governor of the city, who, if all things have been properly conducted, grants the important permission to depart. The only certain way of getting these things over, is to be unsparing in bribes.

The climate of St. Petersburgh is cold, but healthy. The houses have double doors and windows, and are warmed throughout by stoves. When going out, each person wraps himself in a large fur pelisse, a fur cap, boots lined with flannel. Spring is scarcely known; so rapidly does winter change to summer. Vegetation goes on almost as quickly as in the tropics. Of the places near St. Petersburgh, the most important is the town and fortress of Cronstadt. It is situated on an island at the mouth of the Neva, twenty miles from St. Petersburgh. A steamer sails every morning for Cronstadt, in the summer, and returns the same evening. In winter it is reached by sledges, gliding all the way upon the ice. It is well fortified-more so now than ever, owing to the Russian fears of inva sion. Some smaller islands surround it. These are also covered with batteries, and serve to render the approach of a hostile fleet very difficult. There are immense barracks at Cronstadt, capable of containing 25,000 men, and a spacious naval hospital.

Commer cial vessels load and unload their cargoes within the port of Cronstadt, as a sufficient depth of water does not exist as far as St. Petersburgh.

THE SOFT ANSWER.

A CROSS-GRAINED, surly man, too crooked by nature to "keep still," went over one morning to his neighbour, Mr. F., a remarkably cool, calm, non-resistant, and addressed him thus: "That piece of fence over there (pointing in a certain direction) is mine, and you shan't have it."

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Why," replied Mr. F., "you must be mistaken, I think."

"No, no, it's mine, and I shall keep it."

"Well," said neighbour F., "suppose we leave it to any lawyer you shall choose."

"I won't leave it to any lawyer," said the other.

Well," continued Mr. F., "shall we leave it to any four men in the village that you shall select ?" 66 No, I shall have the fence.'

Not at all discomposed, Mr. F. said, “Well neighbour, then I will leave it to you whom the fence belongs to, whether you or myself."

Struck dumb by this appeal, the wrathy man turned away, "convicted by his own conscience," saying, "I won't have anything to do with a man that won't contend for his rights."

Mr. F. has often remarked, he never could wish for a more kind neighbour than this man proved afterwards. He never alluded to the fence or the conversation.

F. N.

HOW TO DO MUCH.

LOCKE says the way is, to do one thing at a time.