blishment, beautifully
situated on the English Quay.

It was well that we had written, as we found the house quite full,
consisting chiefly of English travellers; everything proved so nice and
comfortable that we soon found ourselves more at home than we could have
expected.

So far I have proceeded as from a diary, but in future, though I shall
confine myself almost entirely to such objects as come under our actual
notice, I shall find it necessary in describing many particulars to
quote largely from Murray and some other authorities.

The weather, we were told, had been very wet and cold for a much longer
period than usual, but had suddenly changed to brighter skies and a
delightful atmosphere. The days, of course, are here much longer, but
what surprised us most was the brilliant twilight, eclipsing every star
and enabling us to read the newspaper at midnight.

Our first business was to communicate by telegraph the important news of
our safe arrival; and early the following morning we received the joyful
intelligence of all being well at home.

To some of you this may be considered a circumstance hardly worth
relating, but let such persons go a considerable distance from home
leaving behind them valuable treasures and their views and feelings will
undergo considerable change.

On enquiring about Adlerberg, my quarantine associate, we were sorry to
learn that he had set off that morning with the Emperor for Archangel,
proving himself by that circumstance, as well as from what we heard in
all quarters, to be no unimportant personage, second only, they said, to
the Emperor himself.

St. Petersburg--so called from its founder in 1703--is situated on a
marshy plain so far north as to be locked up one half of the year, and,
notwithstanding such unfavourable circumstances, has become one of the
handsomest cities in Europe, containing a population of about 600,000.
The streets are spacious and well laid out, some of them two or three
miles long, and, though not often exceeding three storeys, the houses
are very lofty.

It has been called another Venice on account of the numerous canals
communicating with the river Neva, which afford a ready transit to all
parts of the city and at the same time greatly assist the drainage,
which otherwise would prove very imperfect.

The Neva is a beautiful river, about as wide as the Thames in London,
but not so polluted. Above the city are numerous islands, on which are
erected