5. The town library. The most interesting curiosities of the town library at Riga, consists of an arm-chair that once belonged to Charles XII., a very old and curious Bible, some letters written by Luther to the senate of Riga, some autographs of Herder, who was once a teacher at the gymnasium here, and a ball shot into the wall of the library by Peter the Great's own hand, at the siege of 1710. It is certainly rather extraordinary that Peter should have hit the library, which is the exact centre of the town ; but stiU more wonderful is the penetration and watchfulness of the inhabitants of Riga, who, in the midst of all the confusion of the siege, could not only distinguish from the walls the figiu-e of the emperor in the midst of the smoke, but could follow the flight of the bail from the cannon's mouth through the air, between all the house -gables, and church-towers, and crooked turnings, till it landed in the wall of their hbrary.
6. The gardens. As Riga has not yet disarmed its thorny, frowning ring of fortifications, as our German cities have, it is not encircled by handsome palaces and beautiful gardens, as they are. All, however, that could be done in such an unfriendly climate has been done. The open spaces between the Old City and the suburbs are filled with avenues, groves, meadows, and flower-gardens. The principal avenue round the town, is called the Esplanade. Riga is mdebted for it to one of her best governors, the Marquis Paulucci, who planted it in what was pre^ iously the dirtiest, ugliest, and most disreputable quarter of the town. Even superior to these Boulevards, are the gardens open to the public, among which are the Imperial Garden, and that of Consul Wohrmann. The former has many fine old trees, among which is an elm planted by Peter the Great's ovra hands. Consul Wohrmann's garden is very elegantly laid out in the English style. Further out in the country the inhabitants of Riga have many pleasure-gardens and villas. Though in the sandy deltas of the Dwina, these gardens cannot possess the beauty and splendour of those round Bremen and Hamburg, yet the unboiuided hospitality and social spirit of their owners, make a summer Sunday spent among them extremely delightful. Their grapes, indeed, are almost always sour, their apricots tasteless, and their other fruits appear to me to want the flavour, aroma, and delicacy of those in Northern Germany; but the more Nature refuses her gifts to man, the more efforts he makes to obtain them. The hothouses and forcing gardeners are far better here than with us. Tlie art of forcing plants is peculiarly a northern art ; it is understood better in Europe than in India, in Germany tlian in Italy, and many German gardeners liave assured me, that it is necessary to go to Russia to see the art in its real perfection. The forcing gardeners of Riga frequently afford the kixurious citizens the pleasure of driwng through a snow-storm to a dinner where asparagus, beans, cauliflowers, and other summer gifts are served up in profusion.
Riga is the most ancient maritime city of this part of tlie world, and as the most trade of any city in the Russian empire, except St. Petersburg. Its beautiful river, the Dwina, connects it with many different countries. It serves as an export and import harbour for Eastern Corn-land, Southern Livonia, Eastern Lithuania, and the provinces of Wltepsk and Smolensk. The principal wares which Riga exports from these districts are corn, tinseed, flax, hemp, timber, and tallow. Of all the different kinds of grain shipped from Riga, rye takes the first place. Courland furnishes little linseed, flax, or hemp ; Livonia more, and Lithuania and White Russia most. These damp countries grow the best flax and hemp in the world, and Riga is celebrated all over Europe for its hemp. In order to preserve the reputation of their hemp and flax unspotted, the town has appointed the corporation called " Braker." These " Braker" examine the hemp and flax, and determine their quality upon oath ; they throw the bad out of the market, andvi^hat they consider good they divide into three or four classes, according to the quality. Tliis public criticism of the merchandise must lessen the chances of deception, and render the business easy and expeditiovis to the foreign trader. To sell "unbraked'' wares is a punishable offence. There exist also " Braker" in Libau, Pernau, St. Petersburg, &c. ; but those of St. Petersburg have the reputation of being corruptible judges. Thirty or forty years ago the mark of the Riga Braker enjoyed such celebrity throughout the whole commercial world, that even in distant Spain, a bale of hemp or flax bearing the official stamp, passed from hand to hand without further examination, every merchant readily paying for it the price corresponding to the mark that it bore.