CHA P. II.

The Author offers his Service to go into Perfia: takes the Charge of a Caravan of Woollen Goods defigned for that Empire. The Country defcribed through which he paffes; with a Defcription of Valdai and Twere; of the great Road begun by Peter the Great; and of the City of Mofcow.

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UR Author arrived at Petersburg on the 10th of June, and was extremely pleased to find a city fo open, airy, and in many places fo regularly built with good houfes in the Italian tafte.

Our readers may remember, that Mr. Hazway had formed the defign of vifiting Perfia, fhould any convenient opportunity offer. Several intimations of the distressed condition of that country, indeed made fome impreffion on him; but did not abate his curiosity. - His partner, and the other factors, were foor alarmed at the complaints of the Ruffian court against Mr. Elton; and it being refolved that one of them fhould go into Perfia, Mr. Hanway offered his fervice, which was accepted. Having at length obtained a passport from the court of Rufia, he provided a fleeping-waggon, another for his clerk, and a third for his baggage, alfo a Russian menial fervant, a Tartar boy, and a foldier: then receiving such infiructions

ftructions as were neceflary from the factors who were interested in this new commerce, he took upon him the charge of a caravan of thirty-feven bales of English cloth, and prepared for his journey.

The caravan of cloth confifting of twenty loads, fet out on the first of September, and on the 10th Mr. Hanway followed it. He had an order for nine poft-horfes, and was to pay a farthing each, for every werft; but being refolved to make all poffible speed, he hired peasants horfes, which are better, and double the expence. In two days he reached the river Volcoff, when the ferry-man finding he was a merchant, began to be infolent; for the Ruffian boors have a contemptible notion of all traders: the delay and impertinence to which he was expofed, obliged his foldier to exercise his cane, which foon brought the fellow to reason, and made him perform his office. On the 13th, the darkness of the night, with the wind and rain, together with the badnefs of the road, and one of the carriages being ftuck in a bog, obliged our Author and his attendants to fleep in their waggons in the open fields, and the next day they reached Branitz, which is near Novogorod, and is 230 werfts from Petersburg. The weather was now mild, the road was. open and pleasant, and provifions fo cheap, that good beef might be bought for the value of three farthings a pound, mutton and pork in proportion, and bread at about one fixth part of its usual value in England.

VOL. XIV.

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On the 15th they arrived at Valdai, where is a confiderable monaftery. The inhabitants are moftly Poles, brought here as prifoners in former wars; but the distinction is now almoft loft. The dress of the women is neater, and their perfons handfomer than the generality of the Ruffian peafants; but their exceffive laughter, and painting their faces, greatly diminished their external charms. The country is hilly, and affords many pleasant profpects; and Mr. Hanway obferves, that Venus feems to have made this her particular refidence, from the many amorous fongs admired by the Ruffians, in relation to the fcenes of delight this place affords; though the more refined parts of love are hardly to be found among the prefent inhabitants. The next day our Author got to Twere, where he came up with his caravan. Great complaints were made by the carriers of the badness of the roads, which encreased his fears of not reaching Perfia that year; therefore instead of one horfe to each load, he ordered two, and promised the carriers a handsome prefent, on condition of their exerting themselves to the utmost of their power.

In Ruffia, carriages for merchandize are nine or ten feet long, and two or three feet broad; they are principally compofed of two frong poles, fupported by four flight wheels of near an equal fize, and about the height of the fore wheels of our coaches; many of them have wheels of a fingle piece of wood, and fome are not shod with iron. These carriages

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are drawn only by one horse. The bales are laid on a bed of thick mat, and over them are ufually placed thick mats two or three times double, and an upper covering of raw cowhides.

Twere is a very ancient city, fituated on the Terfa, which runs into the Volga. This place is a rendezvous for merchants who trade to the towns on the banks of the last-mentioned river; yet during the greatest part of the year the Twerfa is not twenty inches deep; but in the months of April and May, it is fo fwelled by the melting of the fnow, that the water rifes ten or eleven feet. Large flat-bottom'd veffels of 200 tons take this opportunity of paffing to and from Aftrachan, and other places; the trade to Perfia is fometimes carried on by the fame channel. There are brought here great quantities of caviare, fifh, and rock-falt, and thefe veffels carry back corn, meal, all kind of groceries, and bale goods.

On the 19th Mr. Hanway arrived at Klin, a very agreeable place, near a fmall branch of the river Kliazma, and paffing through feveral fmall villages, the next day arrived at Moscow the metropolis of the Ruffian empire.

Among the other great works of Peter I. he caufed a road to be cut from Petersburg, that was to extend the whole diftance of 734 werfts or 487 English miles in a direct line; but it is not intirely compleated, nor is the part performed, exactly executed on the original plan. Vaft forefts of fir, birch, and other trees, were cut through, and a paffage made over moraffes,

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moraffes, till then thought impaffable. Immenfe quantities of timber were hewn down, ditches were made, and the earth being thrown up and levelled, ftrait firs with their furfaces made plain, were laid clofe to each other upon it. These are fupported by a foundation of the fame kind of timber, composed of a row of trees on each fide fecured by cross timbers, This road of timber is carried according as the land requires it, for about 150 werfts, and as Mr. Hanway calculated, contains two million one hundred thousand trees: befides which, there are on the fides of the road great quantities of timber that have never been used.

Mofcow is in the latitude of 55°. 40'. and is built fomewhat after the Eastern manner, it having but few regular ftreets, and a great number of houfes with gardens. It is about fixteen English miles in circumference, the river Moskwa runs through it, and making many windings, adds a very ftriking beauty to the city; but in fummer it is in many places fhal low and unnavigable. Several eminences, interfperfed with groves, gardens, and lawns, form the moft delightful profpect; but the dreadful fires that have laid waste the city, have hardly left houfes fufficient to accommodate the Empress's retinue, without diftreffing the people. The imperial palace in the city is remarkable, for fcarce any thing but its having thirty chapels, and a very lofty hanging garden; but great part of it appears rather like a prison than a royal palace. The number of churches and chapels in Moscow is hardly credible,