The climate of Petersburg, as some of our former state ments may have led the reader to believe, is extremely rigorons,—more rigorous than that of any other place of the same latitude in Europe. In winter, the cold is so in tense that, unless the warmest clothing was made use of; it would be productive of the most fatal effects; coach men indeed, and persons in a state of inactivity, have not unfrequently been known to fall victims to it. The seve rity of climate, however, the common people seem, in a great measure, to disregard ; their dress, indeed, consists of fur or sheepskin, but their neck and breast are almost entirely exposed ; and Mr. Coxe saw some women wash in the Neva and canals, in apertures made by a hatchet in the ice, at a time when the mercury in Fahrenheit's ther mometer was 60° below the freezing point. In winter, however, the intensity of the frost is all that is to be com plained of ; the air is extremely pure and bracing; the sky never obscured by a cloud; and the number and variety of amusements, chiefly on the ice, which distinguish that season, render it, on the whole, the most agreeable part of the year. The summer has also its charms and advan tages; it is as mild and agreeable as in the south of France ; and the rich and rapid vegetation for which it is so re, markable, is the more delightful, from the bleakness and desolation which preceded it. But this season, however pleasant, is extremely variable, abounding particularly in rain and moisture. The quantity of rain in Petersburg has been computed to be a sixth greater than in London ; and of this quantity no less than three-fourths fall during the months of summer. In this capital there can scarcely be said to be either spring or autumn, at least these sea sons are unusually short ; for the transition is peculiarly rapid from the rigour of winter to the mildness of summer, and the contrary. In a few days after the snow and frost begin to disappear, the fields are adorned with verdure, and the trees with foliage—a fact that is explained from the circumstance, that as the ground is covered with snow ere the frost becomes intense, vegetation is never com pletely checked, arid thus revives instantaneously on being exposed to the genial influence of the vernal atmosphere.
Petersburg, like Paris, is nearly of a circular form ; it is surrounded by a rampart of about fourteen miles ill cir cumference. By the police ordinance of the year 1782, the capital is divided into various districts ; but the original and standard divisions, which alone it is necessary to spe cify. are, 1. The Admiralty on the south bank of the Neva ; 2. The suburbs of Moscow and Livonia, which lie between the Admiralty and the country to the south and east ; 3. Petersburg ; and 4. Vasili•Ostroff. The two last men tioned divisions are insulated tracts, which are situated north of the river, and constitute the site of the original buildings of the city. That part of the capital which lies south of the Neva is the largest, the most populous, and the most elegant. The insulated division named Peters burg, which comprises several smaller islands, first ob tained that appellation, by which the whole city is now de signated, because it contained the hut built early in 1703 for the residence of Peter ; and in which he really dwelt while engaged in superintending the erection of this new capital. This hut, the oldest building in the city, which contained only three apartments, and of which the height of the roof was eight feet, is still preserved in its original state, and stands under an arched building of brick, pur posely erected to save it from destruction.
The great distinguishing characteristic of Petersburg is the width and regularity of its streets, in which it is equalled by no city in Europe, ancient or modern. Thii uniformity is discernible even in the oldest quarters of the city. From the Admiralty, which, as recently mentioned, is the most elegant and fashionable division of the town, three streets diverge in straight lines, each two miles in length. The general appearance of Petersburg is not un
like that of the New Town of Edinburgh, the streets being long and wide, and intersected at regular distances by smaller ones. In the suburbs, however, there are many blanks in the rows of building, and in the old districts of the town, particularly in the liasili-Ostroff, wooden houses, scarcely superior to common cottages, are blended with elegant modern structures. The ancient buildings, as they gradually decay, are superseded by superb and massy edifices, that would do honour to any capital in Europe. Petersburg can boast of very few squares ; with the ex ception, indeed, of four in the Admiralty, it contains almost nothing that deserves that appellation. The houses, ori ginally of wood or clay, are now all of brick ; there are extremely few stone edifices, though the stucco with which the buildings are ornamented have caused some travel lers to assert that they are constructed of stone. The roofs of the houses are nearly flat, and are covered with iron or copper ; tiles, once commonly used for this pur pose, are now only to be seen on the inferior species of buildings. The streets, which, from the low situation of the town, are, except in time of frost, wet and marshy, are for the most part paved with stone ; some of them, however, are still floored with planks, with which they were is, originally covered : the pavement for foot passen gels s, at all seasons, considerably dry and pleasant; but the centre of the street, set apart for carriages, is little better than a morass. In this city it is impossible to enjoy the advantages of a cellar, for in all situations water is found at the depth of several feet beneath the surface.
But whatever may be the regularity and elegance of its streets, Petersburg can exhibit very few public edifices of importance : these, besides, are all modern buildings ; and what, indeed, a stranger regrets most in visiting the Rus sian capital, is the total want of antiquity by which it is characterized. The hut, inhabited by the emperor while the city was building, is, as recently stated, still preserved, and is an object of no mean interest. But the fortress which, ere the town was begun to be constructed, was erect ed in 1703, has been displaced by a more' formidable and efficient citadel, which, though destitute of the important associations connected with the original structure, is yet one of the most conspicuous edifices connected with Peters burg. It is of a hexagonal form ; it occupies an island of half a mile in circumference ; its tower is 360 feet in height ; its walls of brick are faced with hewn granite, and it is de fended by five strong bastions mounted with cannon. With in the walls are barracks for a small garrison ; several wards are used respectively as a common jail, and as dungeons for the confinement of state prisoners. The Imperial Pa lace, another public building, is deserving of notice, not so much from its architecture as from its magnitude,—being 450 feet in length, 350 in breadth, and 70 in height. Con nected with this palace, by means of a covered gallery, is the lIermitage, a spacious edifice, so called from its being the scene of imperial retirement. It is constructed of brick, stuccoed white ; the apartments are large and ele gant ; and it contains a valuable library, a collection of paintings, and a small museum. The Admiralty, which, though distinguished by a large spire, is by no means an elegant building, comprises storehouses, and docks for the construction of ships of war. The other most important edifices arc, the Marble Palace, built of marble and stone ; the Taurida, now used for barracks ; the Imperial Academy; the Academy of the Fine Arts ; the Senate house; Post office, Fx.c.