the chief province of the empire of Russia, deriving its name from the river Mulcova, or Moska, on which the capital is situated. It was from this duchy that the czars of old took the title of dukes of Moscow. The province is bounded on the north by the duchies of Twere, Rostow, Suidal, and Wodlimer; on the south by Rezan, from which it is separated by the river Occa; on the east by the principality of Cacheine, and the same river Occa parting it from Nifii-novogorod; and on the west by the duchies of Rzeva, Biela, and Smolensko. It extends about 200 miles in length, and about 100 in breadth; and... Moscow is watered by the Moska, Occa, and Clefsma, which fall into the Wolga; nevertheless, the soil is not very fertile. The air, however, though sharp, is salubrious; and this consideration, with the advantage of its being situated in the midst of the best provinces in the empire, induced the czars to make it their chief residence. In the western part of Moscow is a large forest, from whence flows the celebrated river Nieper, or Borysthenes, which, traversing the duchy of Smolensko, winds in a serpentine course to Ukrania, Lithuania, and Poland. The capital, Moscow, or Moskova, is the metropolis and largest city of the Russian empire, situated in a spacious plain on the banks of the river Moskova; over which the prince Gafschin built a stately bridge, consisting of 12 arches of prodigious height, breadth, and solidity, because the river is so apt to overflow its banks: it was designed by a Polish monk, and is the only stone-bridge in all Russia. Moscow is seated on a wholesome gravelly soil, and divided into four quarters, each surrounded with a distinct wall. These districts are known by the names of Cataigorod, Czarigorod, Skorodum, and Strelitze-Iabodo. The Cataigorod, surrounded with a brick-wall, is the middle of the city; in which stands the citadel, about two miles in circuit, fortified with a triple wall, flanked with towers and a fosse. It contains two imperial palaces, the one of timber and the other of stone, built after the Italian architecture; the patriarchal palace, which is a large ancient edifice; the exchequer, chancery, and other offices; two noble monasteries; five large churches, including that of St Michael, famous for its fabric and ornaments, as well as for the monuments of the grand dukes and czars who have been here interred; the grand magazine, and many other stately buildings. Without the citadel-gate stands that noble edifice the church of Jerusalem, finished by the czar John Basilides, who ordered the architect to be deprived of his eye-sight, that he might never contrive, or at least behold, its equal. In the great market that fronts the citadel we see the stupendous bell, supposed to be the largest in the whole world. It was hung in a tower built for the purpose, which tower was consumed by fire in the beginning of the present century. The weight of the bell amounts to 336,000 pounds. It is in height 19 feet, in diameter 23, in circumference 70, and the sides are two feet in thickness. One hundred men were employed in moving this monstrous machine, which was only rung on extraordinary occasions: for example, when the Czar condescended to show himself to his people, and when he conversed with his wife, that the subjects might know when to petition heaven that a male child should be the issue of the conjugal embrace. This district is watered by the rivers Negligla and Moska; and is called Cataigorod, from catai, the Russian name for China, because here the merchandises of that empire are chiefly sold. The Czarigorod, or ducal city, encompassed the Cataigorod, and is itself fortified with a white stone wall, called Bielafiana; whence it has acquired the appellation of Bielagerod, or the white city. The most remarkable building in this division is the great arsenal. The Skorodum quarter stands to the north-west of the Czarigorod; and is chiefly inhabited by timber-merchants and carpenters, who fell wooden houses ready made. It is surrounded with a mud-wall, and distinguished by the name of Moscow. Scorodum, which signifies done in haste; because, on an alarm from the Tartars, it was finished in four days, tho' it is 15 miles in circuit, and the earth is everywhere supported by planks and beams of timber. It is absolutely necessary that there should be such a magazine of houses ready made, to supply the loss of those that perish almost every day by conflagrations, owing to the carelessness, rage, and intoxication, of the inhabitants. On the east and south-east sides of the Cataigorod and citadel stands the Strelitze-Iabodo, so called from the guards of that name, who were formerly lodged in this quarter, which is fortified with wooden ramparts, and divided from the other parts of the city by the river Moska. The houses of the commonalty are no better than mean poultry wooden huts, without neatness and furniture: but the merchants secure their commodities in vaults of stone or brick, which are proof against the accidents of fire. There are 3000 stone or brick houses in the city of Moscow; but they stand at such distances from one another, are so intermingled with rows of wooden houses, and such a number of them stand detached from, and as it were behind the streets, surrounded with high walls, that the effect of them is almost lost in the general prospect. The streets, instead of being paved with stones, are boarded with fir-planks; so that in conflagrations the ground seems to burn, and it becomes impossible to approach the scene of disaster. Among the churches and chapels of this city, which are said to amount in number to 1500, that in the Krimelin, or palace of the citadel, is a very ancient and remarkable edifice. On the right-hand side of the altar is the Czar's throne, and on the left is that of the patriarch. The body of the church is lighted by a silver chandelier of immense weight and value. The jewels and ornaments belonging to an image of the Virgin Mary are valued at half a ton weight in gold; but inestimable is the value of an infinite number of chalices, pixes, patens, statues, and other church-utensils of gold and silver, curiously wrought and enriched with precious stones, a prodigious number of rich priestly vestments, besides innumerable donations, and presents offered to the relics of three eminent Russian saints interred in this place. In a word, the treasure contained in this church is said to equal, at least, that of any cathedral in Europe. Hard by the church of St Michael, which we have mentioned above, is the stately abbey of nuns, called tsudoff-monaster: here the bodies of the princesses of the blood are interred; and in a separate chapel we see the tombs of those princes who never ascended the throne. Nothing can be more rich and magnificent than the palls with which their coffins are covered on holidays. Of the several monasteries that appear in Moscow and its neighbourhood, the most remarkable is the Deiwitz-monaster, about a mile from the city, where Peter confined his ambitious sister the princess Sophia, who had hatched so many conspiracies against his government. This monastery, which is situated in an extensive plain, contains 300 nuns, who are kept under severe restrictions, contrary to the freedom with which other Muscovite nuns are indulged. The only liberty these enjoy is in holiday-time, when they are permitted to walk on the terraces of the garden, which overlook... look the adjacent plain.

Peter the Great founded at Moscow three colleges, and selected for them able professors. In the first they taught humanity, rhetoric, and philosophy; in the second, mathematics; and in the third, navigation and astronomy. To these colleges he added a dispensatory, which is one of the noblest structures in Moscow, completely furnished with all sorts of drugs and medicines, under the care of some Germans well skilled in the art of pharmacy and chemistry. The yearly revenue of this dispensatory amounts to 2000 rubles, allotted for fresh supplies of the materia medica; and from hence not only the army, but likewise all the chief cities of the empire, are furnished.

The courts of judicature, custom-houses, goals, and other public edifices, are built of stone, large, strong, and maily. The city of Moscow was founded in the year 1334, and in process of time gradually enlarged itself to such a degree, that it is said to have contained 80,000 houses; but in the sequel it suffered greatly, both from the enemy and successive conflagrations. Nevertheless, in the reign of Charles II. of England, while lord Carlisle was ambassador at that court, the city was 12 miles in compass, and the number of houses computed at 40,000. Notwithstanding the severity and vigilance of the magistracy in Moscow, the city swarms with sturdy-beggars and vagabonds, who render it very unsafe to walk through the streets in the dark. Some of these, being armed with short truncheons, lurk in obscure corners, from whence they throw their weapons at the heads of passengers with such dexterity that they seldom fail to knock them down; then they rob and murder them, and make off with the booty. The body of the person thus murdered is exposed in public for a certain time; and, if not owned, the magistrates order it to be thrown into a large deep pit, dug on purpose for the interment of all those who lose their lives in this manner: thither some priests repair on Whitewash-day, to say mass for the souls of the deceased. The ancient splendour and opulence of Moscow was greatly diminished by the building of Petersburg, and the removal of the court to that city. Nevertheless the place is still populous; and there is plenty of all kinds of provision, extremely good, and surprisingly cheap; except the article of fish, for which there is a very great demand, occasioned by the four great lents and weekly fairs observed by the Russians. The canal between Moscow and Petersburg is one of the most stupendous works of the czar Peter: it begins at the Neva, and is continued from lake to lake, and river to river, for near 100 leagues, until it reaches Moscow. What is properly deemed the artificial canal, commences at the city of Novgorod, and is carried on with incredible labour and expense through the territories of Brognitz, Chriflitz, Chilofova, Witcheno, Volofcha, Torfchock, the province of Twer, and the district of Kiln. The city of Moscow stands about 650 miles from Caffa, the capital of Crim-Tartary; 950 miles from Constantinople; 720 from Cracow in Poland; 660 from Stockholm; and 1320 from London; in 55 degrees 42 minutes of north latitude.