bo ok The icè-hills are exceedingly common, and afford a per-
petual fund o f araufement to the populace ; they afe con-
ft rafted in thé following manner. A fcaffolding is raifed
upon the river about thirty feet in height, with a landing
place on the top, the afcent to which is by a ladder. From
this fummit a iloping plain of boards, about four yards,
broad and thirty long, defcends to the fuperficies of the river 1
it is fupported by ftrong poles gradually decreafing in height,
and its fides are defended by a parapet of planks. Upon
thefe boards- are laid fquare maffes of ice about four inches
thick, which being firft fmoothed with the axe and laid clofe
to each other, are then fprinkled with water : by thefe means
they coalefce, and, adhering to the boards, immediately
form an inclined plain o f pure icè. From the bottom of
this plain the fnow is cleared away for the length o f 200 ■
yards and the breadth of four, upon the level bed of thé
river; and the fides of this courfe, aS Well as the fides and
top of the fcaffolding,, are ornamented With firs and pines.
Each perfon, being provided with a fledge*,mounts the ladder
and, having obtained the fummit, hé feats himfelf
upon his fledge at the upper extremity of the inclined plain,
down which he fuffers it to glide with eonfiderable rapidity,
poifing it as he goes down ; when the velocity, acquired by
the defcent, carries it above 100 yards upon the level ice of
the river. At the end of this courfe, there is ufually a fimilar
iee-hill, nearly parallel to the former, which begins where
the other ends; fb that the perfon immediately mounts
again, and, in the fame manner, glides down the other inclined
plain Of ice. This diverfion he repeats as often as he
pleafes. I have frequently flood for above an- hour at the
* Something like a butcher’s trây, as ü r . King juitly obierves in his ingenious : pamphlet
on the effe&s o f cold in Ruifia,
7 bottom
ottom of thefe lce-hills, obferving the fledges following CHAPeach
other with inconceivable rapidity ; but I never had the
courage myfelf to try the experiment. The only difficulty
coafifts ln fleering and poifing the fledge as it is hurried
down the inclined plain ; for if the perfon who fits upon it is
not fteady, but totters either through inadvertence or fear, he
is liable to he overturned, and runs no fmall rifk of breaking
his. bones, i f not his neck. And, as one failure might have
proved fatal, I contented myfelf with feeing others engaged
m the diverfion without partaking of it myfelf. The boys
are continually employed in fcating down thefe hills : ,
they glide chiefly upon one fcate, as they are able to poife
themfelves better upon one leg than upon two. Thefe ice-
hills. exhibit a pleafmg appearance upon the river, as well
from the trees with which they are ornamented, as from the
moving objefts which, at particular times o f the day, are
conftantly defcending without intermiffion.
T h e market upon the Neva is too remarkable to be
omitted. At theconclufion of the k>ng fall which elofes o a
the 24th of December, O. S. the Ruffians lay-in their pro-
vifions for the remaining part o f the winter. For this pur-
pofe an annual market, which lafts three days, is held upon
the river near the fortrefs. A long ftreet, above a milein
length, was lined on each fide with an immenfe ftore of pro
vifions, fufficient for the fupply of the capital for the next
three months. Many thoufand raw carcaffes of oxen, fheep
hogs, pigs, together with geefe, fowls, and every fpeeies of
frozen food, were expofed for fale. The larger quadrupeds
were grouped in various circles upright, their hind legs fixed
m the fnow, with their heads and fore legs turned towards
each other. Thefe towered above the reft, and oceu
pied the hindermoft row; next to them fucceeded a regular .
feries - -