Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia

POPULATION OF MOSCOW.297

wants of an active population, numerous, but lost in the circuit of so immense a city. The dust of Moscow is excessively troublesome, being fine as the lightest ashes. We have still a burning temperature. The Russians are astonished at the intensity and duration of the heat of this summer.

The Slavonian Empire — that rising sun of the political world towards which all the earth is turning its eyes — is it also to be blessed with the sun of heaven ? The natives pretend, and often repeat, that the climate is ameliorating. Wonderful power of human civilisation, whose progress is to change even the temperature of the globe ! Whatever may be the winters of Moscow and Petersburg, I know few climates more disagreeable than that of these two cities during the summer. It is the fine season which should be called the bad weather of northern lands.

The first thing that struck me in the streets of Moscow was the more lively, free, and careless bearing of the population as compared with that of Petersburg. An air of liberty is here breathed that is unknown to the rest of the empire. It is this which explains to me the secret aversion of the sovereigns to the old city, which they flatter, fear, and fly. The Emperor Nicholas, who is a good Russian, says he is very fond of it; but I cannot see that he resides in it more than did his predecessors, who detested it.

This evening a few streets were partially illuminated. It is difficult to understand the taste of the Russians for illuminations, when we recollect that during the short season, when they can alone enjoy this kind of spectacle, there is scarcely any night о 5