533 POSTING IN RUSSIA. 



packets belonging to government, go free of any expence ; and heavy 

 packets, either belonging to government or to individuals, are paid for 

 at the rate of two rubles per pood, or two copecs per pound. 



2d. That of Mittau, which brings the letters from most parts of 

 Europe twice a week. 



3d. That of Riga, which comes and goes twice a week, and takes all 

 the letters dispatched to foreign countries. 



4th. That of White and Lesser Russia, which arrives and sets out 

 twice a week. 



5th. That of Viborg, the arrival and departure of which is the 

 same ; but it carries out and brings back Swedish letters only once 

 every week. 



6th. That of Archangel, which comes and goes once a week. 



7th. That of Yaroslavl, which comes and goes twice a week. 



8th. That of Jassy, Constantinople, &c., which arrives and sets out 

 the 1st and the 16th of each month. 



9th. The post of Cronstadt, which in summer comes and goes every 

 day, but in winter only once a week. 



The post-office at Moskva has the greatest share of business, as its 

 district extends to the remotest parts of Siberia. It therefore employs 

 a much greater number of clerks than that of St. Petersburgh ; and 

 before the last partition of Poland, it had under it 1 08 offices in various 

 parts of the empire. It dispatches seven different posts, but none of 

 them, that of St. Petersburgh excepted, sets out or arrives more than 

 once a week. Between the smaller towns there are by-posts established 

 by the magistrates, and maintained by the revenue arising from the 

 carriage of letters. 



The post-tax, which formerly was very different in different places, 

 has, since the year 1783, been uniform throughout the whole kingdom. 

 Letters are charged by the weight, and packets by the pound. Money, 

 whether in gold, silver, or bank-notes, may be transmitted also by the 

 post ; but one-half per cent, of the value must be paid as postage, and 

 the post-office is security for its safe arrival. The post-office in most 

 countries of Europe is a productive source of revenue ; but this is not 

 the case in Russia, as the expenses of that establishment exceed what it 

 brings in. 



THE WANING MOON. 



AND like a dying lady lean and pale, 

 Who totters forth, wrapt in a gauzy veil, 

 Out of her chamber ; led by the insane 

 And feeble wanderings of her fading brain 

 The moon arose up in the murky earth, 

 A white and shapeless mass. 



