a river at Petersburgh, in Russia. The views upon the banks exhibit the most grand and lively scenes. The river is in most places broader than the Thames at London. It is deep, rapid, and transparent as crystal, and its banks are lined on each side with a continued range of handsome buildings. On the north side the fortresses, the academy of sciences and that of arts are the most striking objects; on the opposite side are the imperial palace, the admiralty, the mansions of many Russian nobles, and the English line, so called because (a few houses excepted) the whole row is occupied by the English merchants. In front of these buildings, on the south side, is the quay, which stretches for three miles, except where it is interrupted by the admiralty; and the Neva, during the whole of that space, has been lately embanked at the expense of the empress by a wall, parapet, and pavement of hewn granite; a most elegant and durable monument of imperial munificence. There is a communication between the opposite sides of the river by a bridge of pontoons, which, when any thing is apprehended from the force of ice rushing down the stream, can be, and is generally indeed, removed. The great depth of the river, it appears, prevents the building of a stone-bridge; and if it could be built, there is no reason to suppose it could possibly resist the force of those vast shoals of ice which in the beginning of winter come down this rapid river. An attempt, however, has been made to remedy this inconvenience; and a Russian peasant has actually projected the plan of throwing a wooden bridge of one arch across it, which in its narrowest part is 980 feet in breadth. As we think this a matter of very considerable importance, as well as of curiosity, we shall give the following copious account of the plan and its author, in Mr Coxe's own words; who tells us that the artist had then executed a model 98 feet in length, which he saw and examined with considerable attention.

"The bridge is upon the same principle with that of Schaffhausen, excepting that the mechanism is more complicated, and that the road is not so level. I shall attempt to describe it by supposing it finished, as that will convey the best idea of the plan. The bridge is roofed at the top, and covered at the sides; it is formed by four frames of timber, two on each side, composed of various beams or trusses, which support the whole machine. The road is not, as usual, carried over the top of the arch, but is suspended in the middle.

"The following proportions I noted down with the..." the greatest exactness at the time when they were explained to me by the artist.

Length of the abutment on the north end, 658 feet. Span of the arch, 980 Length of the abutment on the south end, 638 Length of the whole structure, including the abutments, 2296

The plane of the road upon its first ascent makes an angle of five degrees with the ordinary surface of the river. Mean level of the river to the top of the bridge in the centre, 168 Ditto to the bottom of the bridge in the centre, 126 Height of the bridge from the bottom to the top in the centre, 42 Height from the bottom of the bridge in the centre to the road, 7 Height from the bottom of ditto to the water, 84 Height from the water to the spring of the arch, 56

So that there is a difference of 35 feet between the road at the spring of the arch and the road at the centre; in other words, an ascent of 35 feet in half 980, or in the space of 490 feet, which is little more than eight tenths of an inch to a foot. The bridge is broadest towards the sides, and diminishes towards the centre.

In the broadest part it is 168 feet. In the centre or narrowest 42 The breadth of the road is 28

"The artist informed me, that to complete the bridge would require 49,600 iron nails, 12,908 large trees, 5,500 beams to strengthen them, and that it would cost 300,000 roubles, or L 60,000. He speaks of this bold project with the usual warmth of genius; and is perfectly convinced that it would be practicable. I must own that I am of the same opinion, though I hazard it with great diffidence. What a noble effect would be produced by a bridge striking across the Neva, with an arch 980 feet wide, and towering 168 feet from the surface of the water? The description of such a bridge seems almost chimerical; and yet upon inspection of the model we become reconciled to the idea. But whether the execution of this stupendous work may be deemed possible or not, the model itself is worthy of attention, and reflects the highest honour on the inventive faculties of that unimproved genius. It is so compactly constructed, and of such uniform solidity, that it has supported 3,400 pood, or 127,440 pounds, without having in the least swerved from its direction, which I am told is far more, in proportion to its size, than the bridge if completed would have occasion to sustain from the pressure of the carriages added to its own weight.

"The person who projected this plan is a common Russian peasant. This extraordinary genius was apprentice to a shopkeeper at Nifnec Novgorod; opposite to his dwelling was a wooden clock, which excited his curiosity. By repeated examinations he comprehended the internal structure, and without any assistance formed one exactly similar in its proportion and materials. His success in this first essay urged him to undertake the construction of metal clocks and watches. The empress, hearing of these wonderful exertions of his native genius, took him under her protection, and sent him to England; from whence, on account of the difficulties attending his ignorance of the language, he soon returned to Russia. I saw a repeating watch of his workmanship at the academy of sciences: it is about the bigness of an egg; in the inside is represented the tomb of our Saviour, with the stone at the entrance, and the centurions on duty: suddenly the stone is removed, the centurions fall down, the angels appear, the women enter the sepulchre, and the same chant is heard which is performed on Easter-eve. These are trifling, although curious performances; but the very planning of the bridge was a most sublime conception. This person, whose name is Kulibin, bears the appearance of a Russian peasant; he has a long beard, and wears the common dress of the country. He receives a pension from the empress, and is encouraged to follow the bent of his mechanical genius (a)."