The bells which are amongst the most remarkable objects to be noticed in Moscow, are hung in belfries detached from the church ; and are rung by a rope tied to the clapper. Some of these bells are of extraor dinary size, and yield the most solemn tones. One of them in the belfry of St. Juan, is above 40 feet in cir cumference, and more than 57 tons in weight. " When it sounds," says Dr. Clarke, " a deep and hollow mur mur vibrates all over Moscow, like the fullest and low est tones of a vast organ, or the rolling of distant thun der." But the great bell of Moscow, the largest ever founded, is in a deep pit in the midst of the Kremlin, where it was originally cast. It never was suspended ; and in consequence of water having been thrown in to extinguish a fire in the building erected over it, a large fracture was made in the bell. It has a white shining appearance, and is said to contain a very large propor tion of gold and silver. The size of the base cannot be ascertained, as it is partly buried in the earth ; but the circumference, within two feet of the lower extre mity, is sixty-seven feet four inches ; and the perpen dicular height from the top twenty-one feet four inches and a half. In the stoutest part, about seven feet above the lip of the bell, where it should have received the blow of the hammer, it is above twenty three inches thick ; and the weight of the whole is computed to be 443,772 lbs. which at three shillings a pound amounts in value to 66,565/. 16s.
Another wonder of the Kremlin is the great gun, which admits of a man sitting upright in its mouth, and is about 181 feet in length, and 10 inches thick at the lip. It is never used, and serves merely for os tentation; but it is surrounded with artillery of extra ordinary length. One of the principal structures and public institutions of Moscow, is the Foundling Hos pital, an immense quadrangular pile of building, capa ble of containing 8000 children, who are suitably in structed according to the occupation which they arc desirous to follow, and who receive, at the age of 20 years, a sum of money, with various advantages fur prosecuting their trade in any part of the empire. This institution, besides diminishing the practice of child murder, (which is said to have been greatly prevalent before its establishment) diffuses the knowledge of the arts among the people, and increases the number of free subjects in the empire. All the shops of Mos cow arc collected together in one spot, in the division of Kalaigorod, where the whole retail commerce of the city is carried on, and where there is the appear ance of a perpetual fair. Every trade has its separate department ; but the shops which sell fur and skins. occupy the greatest number of streets. There is a market held in a large open space, in one of the sub urbs, where ready made houses of every variety are strewed upon the ground, and where a purchaser, upon specifying the number of rooms which he requires, may have a dwelling removed, raised, and occupied in the space of a week. The number of picture-dealers
in Moscow is very great ; and the houses of the no bles are filled with them ; but they are almost all copies made with the most exact imitation,and in general arc valued according to the splendour of the colourh,g, and fineness of finishing. The booksellers' shops, also, are seldom provided with books of real literary reputa tion, but are rather stet ed with toys than the instru ments of science. The splendour of the equipages, and the number of horses attached to them, gives an ap pearance of wealth and grandeur far above the reality. There is hardly au individual above the rank of a ple beian, who has not four horses to his carriage ; the greater part have six ; but the postilions are generally ragged boys, and the coachman a peasant in his sheep skin, while the long traces of the horses are made of no better materials than ropes.
In the metropolis of an empire composed of so many different nations, rather united than assimilated, the manners, dresses, amusements, languages, and occupa tions of the inhabitants, present to the eye of a stranger the most wonderful variety. The amusements are of the most childish description ; and the most respecta ble of the citizens, and even persons of rank, may be seen in public, whirling about in chairs, and screaming with pleasure. One of the most general luxuries, is that of the bath, which is taken in public, both by men and women, who may often be seen naked before these places of resort, talking together without any sense of shame. The citizens are fond of promenades, which, particularly during Easter, take place every morning and evening ; and in which, besides the no bles in their cairiages and on horseback, ate seen the merchants' wives on donkies in their richest dresses, the peasantry shouting and singing, the gypsies danc ing, piping, clapping of hands, and various kinds of revelry. Another favourite resort is the market on Sunday mornings, in a spacious area near the Ki em lin, where people of every description assemble to pur chase dogs, singing birds, peacocks, poultry, file arms, curious pigeons, Etc. Dogs and birds are the princi pal articles, and particularly the pigeons, in which the nobles of Moscow take great delight, and which are trained by the feeders to fly and return at command. The morals of this great city are extremely relaxed ; and it is no uncomtnon thing for a number of hired prostitutes to be kept openly in the inr.s for the use of the guests.