1822s] 
metal may be out away, and the ves- 
sel must be dangerously weakened. 
This was a point that well deserved in- 
vestigation. 
—ia 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
JOURNAL by a LADY, kept at MOscow, 
and in RUSSIA, during the FRENCH 
INVASION zm 1812. 
(Continued from No. 371, p. 13.) 
HE 17th of September, when I 
undertook to go into the country, 
proved a memorable day tome. Our 
house at my departure was untouched, 
and there was no appearance of fire in 
any of the adjacent streets. The first 
appearance of fire that arrested our 
attention, was the Port Rouge. We 
wished to goin the ordinary way by 
the Boulevard ; but it was impossible: 
the fire having spread in every direc- 
tion, we again went up the Twerscoye, 
where it raged with great fury. At 
length we got to the Great Theatre ; 
which was not merely on fire, but was 
a volume of solid flame. <A stock of 
wood had been laid up suflicient fora 
year’s consumption, and the theatre it- 
self was built of timber. The flakes 
fell into our ealeche, and the heat be- 
came insupportable, and dangerous to 
our horses ; however, by bringing them 
toa gallop, we regained the Boulevard, 
and returned homeward, congratula- 
ting ourselves upon our escape from 
the dust and the flames. Alas! our 
own house, into which we flattered 
ourselves we should obtain a peaceable 
entry, and which, an hour before, did 
not exhibit a single spark, was now on 
fire! As I have the happiness always 
to preserve my recollection in danger, 
I thought only of assisting my compa- 
nions; and, of saving the most valua- 
ble things belonging to myself. An 
ignorant servant assisted me in carry- 
ing our goods into the garden. A 
wounded officer and the rest of our 
friends were so confused, that they 
did little or nothing. They broke 
open a door with an axe, though there 
Was one open already by which they 
might have passed. Several French 
officers entered our garden, and of- 
fered to send soldiers to assist us. 
When I had taken every thing I was 
able to remove into the garden, I had 
leisure to look about, and examine 
what was passing around me. I ob- 
served that one of our gentlemen had 
put his horses to his caleche, and that 
he had got every thing belonging to 
him, even his mattress, besides some 
Journal kept by a Lady at Moscow in 1812. 
419 
artioles belonging to his friends. I ob- 
served, that another had done the same 
with his droschy; whilst I, not being 
possessed of any carriage whatever, 
ran a great risk of nomeving any 
thing. However, I soon made up a 
light packet of the most necessary ar- 
ticles, which I placed in the droschy, 
and another smaller than that, which I 
put into the officer’s carriage. I putmy 
jewels and my money into a reticule 
that I carried inmy hand, and now de- 
termined to await my destiny in tran- 
quillity. “‘ But who do these packets 
belong to?” exclaimed the officer who 
commanded in that quarter. “Tome, 
sir,” said I. ‘* Well, madam, would 
you leave them in this manner?” said 
they. To which I replied, ‘‘ Where 
can I put them, I have neither car- 
riage nor horse?” ‘ By heaven,” said 
he, looking at one of our friends who 
was on the point of departure, “‘ you 
must take the lady,” and he was 
forced to obey. 
We then took our final leave of the 
house, where all that was left soon be- 
came the prey of the soldiers. A more 
sorrowful procession never was seen ; 
for we were not alone: women, chil- 
dren, and the aged natives, were, like 
ourselves, flying from their burning 
houses. A numerous file of soldiers 
marching to camp at the same time, we 
proposed following them; when, after 
wandering about a long time, we 
found a street that was not yet in 
flames. On entering the first house we 
found it deserted, and, taking posses- 
sion, we threw ourselves upon the 
sofas, while the gentlemen guarded 
the carriages in the court-yard, and 
ascertained whether the fire was likely 
to communicate to the house. Thus 
terminated this melaneholy day, the 
remembrance of which wili never be 
effaced from my memory. As it may 
be supposed, the night was no less pain- 
ful; we knew no place that could afford 
us an asylum ; and guards‘ were placed 
to ‘prevent the people from going 
where they pleased. 
In the morning we endeavoured to 
go to head-quarters, to ask for a place 
of refuge, which had been granted to 
several unhappy persons in our situa- 
tion, for the houses were not enough 
for the military, and, like provisions, 
could now only be bad from head- 
quarters. But we could not go to 
Petrowsky without an officer, and our 
wounded gentleman did not like to go; 
we therefore continued wandering 
from 
