After leaving the Monastery we went with the Colonel to see the ArsD&}, Wnieh is an exceedingly fine square of buildings, and has in it seven hundred pieces of differerit sorts' of cannon, all kept in the fittest order : the length of one room, where the large guns are deposited, is aboil* two hundred yards, forming one side of the square, which within the F2 building is 200 by 150 yards. It is built of brick, stuccoed without, and has a very good appearance. In passing through the barrier gates, and over the drawbridge, the postilions gave a sort of scream or halloo, which astonished me very much, and of which I could not imagine the cause, until it was explained to me : it is principally used in the larger towns, as Petersburgh, Moscow, &c. where the constant passing to and fro of carriages, makes it indispensibly requisite to announce to the drivers of other carriages near, the passing of one through the gates; and the scream is prolonged, according to the rank of the person to whom the equipage belongs. Before I quit the recollection of the Monastery and Church we had been so much gratified by seeing, I am induced to mention, that our quarters were at the house of a Jew and Jewess who had lately seceded to the Greek Church :
they were not then baptized, but were soon to have that ceremony performed in public.
The manufactures of Russia are all far behind ours in the attainment of excellence. The Emperor gives every possible encouragement to them, but the owners and establishers of them, consider only their own profit, and not the good quality of the material, or the possibility of making it more generally useful. How they can make it the cheapest, and sell it the dearest, are the two points aimed at ; thus, scarcely any thing bought ofRussian manufacture, is worth having : I ought I believe to except plate glass, as well as that of long-established reputation, the manufacture of linen.
Near to Kiev, is a fabric of earthenware, which the gentlemen went to visit, and bought several articles there. This is considered one ofthe best manufactures, but they do not last like English plates, as the glaize wears off in a short time. All kinds of cutlery are very bad.
The glass is tolerably good, and very well cut, but not equal in beauty to ours ; it is, however, much more moderate in price : two tumblers bought at Tchernigoff, of cut glass, and extremely thick, cost three rubles ; and the glasses bought at Kiev, are very handsome and good at twelve rubles per dozen. The printed cottons, of which almost the only manufactures are at Moscow, are very pretty, but will not bear washing ; they cannot attain the art of fixing the colours, as in our prints ; and they sell them, and all muslin goods, much dearer than we do. The population of Kiev may be stated at about twenty-five thousand.
I have before spoken of the beauty of the situation of Kiev ; and the road going out, has equally fine and majestic scenery, with the entrance from the opposite side. The situation of all the large Continental towns, is evidently chosen for defence : of course the loftiest spots, are those selected for their sites, and you scarcely enter any of these towns, without having an immensely steep bill to ascend.
On taking leave of the Dnieper, I should remark, that the bear-hunt, which forms so excellent a diversion in North and Great Russia, is not known south of this river.
We passed one week at Kiev, and then continued ourjourney, making Human, a seat of the Countess Potosky, our next destination, as Mr. Y. wished to see two Englishmen resident there.