The breaking of the ice is carried on in this way. The workmen begin by clearing the snow away from the surface, that they may clearly trace out the form of the blocks to be detached. They then measure off a large parallelogram, and mark the outline with a hatchet This parallelogram is subdivided into a number of squares of a size to suit the capacity of their sledges. When the drawing is complete, the more serious part of the work begins. A regular trench has to be formed round the parallelogram in question. This is done with hatchets, and as the ice is frequently four or five feet thick, the trenches become at last so deep that the workmen are as completely lost to the eye as if they had been labouring in a mine. Of course, a sufficient thickness of ice must be left in the trenches to bear the workmen, which is afterwards broken with bars of iron. When the parallelogram has thus been loosened, the subdivision is effected with comparative ease. A number of men mount the swimming mass, and with their pointed iron ice-breakers, they all strike at the samemoment upon the line that has been marked out. A few volleys of this kind make the ice break just along the wished for line, and each of the oblong slips thus obtained, is broken up again into square pieces after a similar fashion. To draw the fragments out of the water, a kind of inclined railroad has to be made on the side of the standing ice. This done, iron hooks are fastened into the pieces that are to be landed, and, amid loud cheers, the clear, green, crystalline mass is drawn up by willing hands. As the huge lumps lie on the snow, they appear of an emerald green, and are remarkably compact, without either bubble or rent. As soon as the sledge is loaded, the driver seats himself upon his merchandize, and thus, coolly enthroned, glides away to the cellars of his customers, enlivening his frosty occupation with a merry song. It is by no means without interest to visit the ice -shafts of the Neva, and watch the Russian labourers while engaged in a task so congenial to the habits of their country.
In the cellars the ice is piled up with much art and regularity, and all sorts of shelves and niches are made, for the convenience of placing milk, meat, and similar articles there in hot weather. Such a description at least applies to what may be called a tidy orderly ice-house ; but tidiness and order do not always preside over Russian arrangements, and in the majority of cellars the ice is thrown carelessly in and broken into pieces, that it may be packed away into the corners, and that as little space as possible may be left unoccupied. The consistency and durability of the ice do not appear to suffer from this breaking process ; on tlie contrarj', the whole, if well packed, soon freezes into oije compact mass, that is afterwards proof against the warmest summer. The Russians are so accustomed to these ice-houses, that they are at a loss to understand how a family can do without them, and their housewives are in the greatest trouble when they think they have not laid in a sufficient supply of ice during the nnter, or when in summer they fancy their stock likely to run short. It may safely be estimated that the ice consumed in St. Petersburg during the summer, costs the inhabitants from two to three millions of rubles.
Permanent bridges have been built in St. Petersburg only over the canals, the Fontauka, the Moika, the Ligofka, &c., which are called canals, and have been worked into the shape of canals, but which, in reality, are small arms of the Neva. Most of these bridges were built by the Empress Catherine. They are of stone, very solid, are all constructed after the same model, and are, absurdly enough, provided with gates and doors, for the apparent purpose of impeding the progress of pedestrians. There are upwards of thirty of them, but they are much too narrow for the increased traffic of the city, and the tide of equipages rolling through the streets generally finds itself reduced to a more moderate pace on arriving near a bridge. Pohcemen are therefore stationed at every bridge, to maintain order and prevent accidents ; and whereas in Germany a man is liable to a fine of two or tlu^ee dollars for driving too fast over a bridge, a coachman in St. Petersburg exposes not only himself but his horses too to be assailed by the cane of the policeman if he neglects to drive over a bridge otherwise than at a quick trot. Some new bridges, and among them several elegant suspension bridges, have been added of late years, and of these there may also be about thu-ty, still the number is felt to be too small for this city of many islands.