The religion established in Russia is that of the Greek church, the externals of which consist in the number and severity of its fasts, that far exceed those of the church of Rome. The Russians deny the supremacy of the Pope, and disclaim the worship of graven images; but, nevertheless, in their private devotions, kneel before a picture of the virgin Mary, or of some particular saint, whom they consider as a mediator and friend. Pictured saints abound in all their churches; and they retain many absurd, superstitious, and idolatrous customs in performing the public ceremonies of their religion: when they pass a church, they bow and prostrate themselves at the entrance, and if conscious of having contracted any difilement or impurity, forbear to enter the consecrated edifice. The generality of the people know little of the contents of the Bible; nor are the youth instructed in the principles of religion and morality. The whole service of the church consists in abundance of ceremonies, prayers, masses, and singing.

The titles of the czar, or emperor of Russia, are very pompous and sounding, and specify every particular province and country of which he is sovereign. This monarchy is absolute, despotic, and hereditary; but the succession is after a peculiar manner, and sometimes depends on the pleasure of the reigning prince, and at other times on the senate and nobles, who constitute themselves arbiters in the matter, and confirm or abrogate the will of their deceased monarch. The senate, which is composed of the most respectable members of the empire, forms, indeed, a part of the constitution, and

still subsists; but though the sovereign treats them with the greatest personal regard and deference, and the weightiest and most important affairs are submitted to their deliberation and decision, they seldom venture to dissent from the will, or to prescribe contrary to the known inclinations of the prince.

The court of Russia was always remarkable. for numbers and magnificence; but its ancient grandeur, compared with its present greatness, is trifling and insignificant: it is constantly filled with men of the greatest opulence and abilities in the empire, who are obliged by titles of honour and distinction to pay a regular attendance, without being allowed any salary. The late sovereigns, however, have commuted the ancient titles of nobility for those honours and distinctions which are common to the rest of Europe; and this change is intended to prevent the revival of those ideas of power, to which their original quality entitled them.

Different persons have made different estimations of the revenues of this immense empire: some calculating them at sixty millions of rubles, and others at only twenty millions. It is, however, certain, that though they greatly exceed what they were formerly, they bear no proportion to the extent of the Russian territories. The principal revenues arise from the annual capitation tax, which is estimated at five millions of rubles; from the demesne lands, which are occupied by near four hundred thousand peasants; and from inns and public houses, tolls and customs by sea and land, salt-works, stamp-duties, law-suits, abbey-lands, and carayans, with many other inferior particulars.

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It is supposed that the regular standing army of Russia consists of two hundred and fifty thousand men, exclusive of an infinite number of troops which may be raised on any emergency. The navy has become very respectable; and the officers and seamen frequently display a considerable share of skill and bravery. Many British officers, indeed, have enjoyed principal commands in the fleets of Russia, and have introduced their native discipline, which is equally the object of admiration as of terror to the rest of Europe.

The common punishments in this country are the battogen, katze, and knoute. The former of these inflictions consists in stripping the culprit to the shirt, and laying him on the ground on his belly, when one man being placed on his neck, and another on his feet, they beat him on the back with small wands during the appointed time. The katze, which was originally inflicted on those who, in violation and contempt of a public prohibition, ventured to take snuff, is performed by slitting the nostrils. The knoute, however, is the most common punishment in Russia, and may properly be considered as the most barbarous and dreadful infliction that can possibly be imagined on this side of death. The culprit being stripped to the waist, and having his feet tied together, the executioner is provided with a bull's pizzle, to which are fastened three thongs of an elk's skin, and standing at a convenient distance, draws blood at every stroke. The flesh is usually stripped off the bones, and the vitals are exposed; and many die in the hands of the executioner.

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To particularize the various nations, which inhabit the territories of this immense empire, would far exceed the limits of a general work; but we shall select such as seem entitled to pe culiar attention.

The ancients were not unacquainted with the Laplanders, whom they called Pygmies and Troglodytes: by the former appellation, they denoted the shortness of their stature, which rarely reaches to, and never exceeds the height of four feet; by the latter, they designated their custom of living in subterraneous caves, which they dig for their habitations. The hands and feet of this people are remarkably small, and seem peculiarly formed for clambering up the sides of rocks and mountains, with which Lapland is covered. Naturally attached to their native soil, they conceive it impossible for them to live in any other part of the world. They possess few ideas; are subject to no particular disease; and drink nothing but water in that frozen clime. Unacquainted with the distinctions of private property, they have wives in common. Their religion is devested of any established system of belief, and consists entirely in ceremonial worship.

The Samoieds inhabit the shores of the frozen ocean, and extend to parts which have hitherto eluded the examination of the curious traveller. These people, who greatly resemble the Laplanders in stature, differ from them in many particulars their cheeks are jutting and bloated, their eyes long and almost shut, their complexion is tawny, and the bosoms of the women are black. The Russians have endeavoured to impart to them some knowledge of Christianity; but the VOL. XXII. Samoieds

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Samoieds rank Jesus Christ only in the number of their gods. They allow a plurality of wives. When their parents are grown old and infirm, they drown, or otherwise destroy them, in order to relieve them from the miseries and calamities of life.

The Cossacs, who are a tall, well proportioned, vigorous, courageous race of men, inured to fatigue, fickle, lively, and full of vivacity, are mentioned in history at an early period, when they inhabited mount Caucasus, and were subjected to the Russians in 1021. About the commencement of the sixteenth century, the Zaporog Cossacs removed their habitations to the fertile and spacious plains, which stretch along the banks of the Neiper. Foreseeing the advantages which would arise from defending this people against the incursions of the Tartars, the Poles took them under their protection, and resigned to them the entire possession of all the country which lies between the rivers Neiper and Neister, and the Tartarian frontiers. protected, they became populous, kept the Turks under perpetual alarms by their incursions, and seized on the islands of the Neiper, which they fortified. Notwithstanding the reciprocal advantages which were the fruits of this union, a friendship did not long subsist between the Poles and Cossacs. The former envying the latter the possession of the fertile country which they inhabited, endeavoured to bring them under subjection. The Cossacs, however, fired with honest indignation, had recourse to arms, and applying to the Russians and Turks for assistance, a cruel and bloody war ensued, which was at length terminated by the czar of Russia

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