CONTENTS. RUSSIA. Page. Chap. III. From the Extinction of the Li- neage of Ruric to the Accession of the present reigning Family of Romanow Chap. IV. From the Accession of the now reigning Family of Romanow to the ex- tinction of the male Race of that Lineage - Chap. V.-From the Extinction of the Male Chap. I.-Description of Poland, and its History till the Extinction of the Family Chap. II.-From the Extinction of the Fa- mily of Piastus to the Abdication of the Chap. III. From the Resignation of John Casimir to the Accession of Stanislaus Chap. I.-Description of Sweden, and its history till the Accession of Eric XII. Chap. III. From the Accession of Charles IX. to the Death of Charles XH. 264 290 Chap. 1-Description of Denmark and its History to the Accession of Canute VI. Chap. II.-From the Accession of Canute VI. to that of the now reigning Family of 338 THE HE extensive empire of Russia is bounded on the east by Asia; on the west by the Neiper, the gulf of Riga, and Finland, Sweden, and Swedish Lapland; on the north by the Frozen Ocean; and on the south by the Don and a line drawn from the Neiper to the mouth of the Don. It extends from, 47 to 72 degrees of north latitude, and from 23 to 65 of eastern longitude; and is about one thousand five hundred miles in length, and eleven hundred in breadth. These are the ancient and proper limits of Russia; but by means of conquest and discovery an immense extent of territory has been added to this em| pire; insomuch that when it is mid-day in the western, it is almost mid-night in the eastern parts. In fact, this great northern monarchy: infinitely exceeds the limits of the largest and most celebrated empires of antiquity, even when in the zenith of their power and glory. In this extensive country, the soil and climate are extremely various; corn seldom arrives at maturity beyond sixty degrees of latitude; and YOL. XXII. *scarcely B 2 scarcely any species of fruit is produced beyond seventy; but in the middle provinces of the empire, the soil is fruitful, the woods abound with game, the plains are stocked with cattle, and the rivers teem with a variety of excellent fish. In the more southern parts the climate is hot; and where the soil is of a sufficient depth, flowers and fruits arrive at great perfection, the earth is covered with verdure, and nature indicates a happy and pleasing fertility. In the more northern districts, the cold in winter is intolerably severe, and the days are short; but in summer, the weather is proportionably warm, and the days are pleasant. During the winter season, in the latitude of Archangel, the sun rises about half past ten in the morning, and sets at half past one in the afternoon; at Petersburgh, the capital of the empire, he rises about a quarter Before ten, and sets about a quarter after two. In summer, this order is entirely reversed; and at the solstice, in these respective latitudes, the length of the shortest day becomes the length of the night, and the length of the longest night the length of the day. Under the same parallels of latitude, the eastern countries are more intensely cold in winter, and hot in summer, than the western. Vegetation is also more quick, and fruits 'sooner arrive at perfection; but after three or four months, which constitute the summer, the icy hand of winter is again visible, the lin gering verdure of the ground is destroyed, the rivers are chained to their beds, and only a wide continuous landscape of show can be seen During this dreary season of the year, when the stars, the twilight, or the aurora-borealis, sup ply the place of the short-lived day, many ar froze |