H i T
■ 1
IH I I 1
P E T E R S B U R G H. 4gj
great fires of whole trees, piled one upon another, are kindled CHAP-
in the court-yard of the palace, and the mofi frequented <
parts of the town. As the flames blazed above the tops of
the hoiifes, and caft a glare to a confiderable diftance, I was
frequently much amufed by contemplating the pidturefque
groups of Ruthaus, with their A liatick drefs and long beards,
affembled round the fire. The centinels upon duty, having
no beards, which are of great ufe to protedl the glands of
the throat, generally tie handkerchiefs under their chins *,
;H and cover their ears with fmall cafes of flannel, i
\ . Nothing can be more lively and diverfified than the winter
fcenes upon the Neva ; and fcarcely a day paffed that I did
not take my morning walk, or drive in a fledge upon that
river. Many carriages and fledges, and numberlefs foot
paflengers perpetually croffing it, afford a conftant fuccef-
fionof moving objedts; and the ice is alfo covered with different
groups of people, difperfed or gathered together, and
varioufly employed as their fancy leads them, y In one part
there are feveral long areas railed off for the purpofe of
fcating; a little further is an enclofure, wherein a nobleman
is training his horfes, and teaching them the various evolu-.
tions of the manage. In another part the croud are fpedla-
tors of what is called a fledge race. The courfe is an oblong
fpace about the length of a mile, and fufficiently broad to
turn the carriage. It can hardly be denominated a race, for
there is only a fingle fledge drawn by two horfes, and the
whole art of the driver confifts in making the ihaft-horfe
trot as faft as he can, while the other is puihed into a
gallop.
* The women tife alfo this precaution.
Q q q a The