( 457 ) 

 RESOURCES, &c. OF RUSSIA. 



The bold attitude and dictatorial tone which Russia has of late 

 years assumed in her dealings with the other Powers of Europe, 

 coupled with her recent conduct towards Turkey and Poland, has 

 very naturally attracted an unusual share of attention to her, and in- 

 spired the other four great Powers with no small measure of alarm. 



But, notwithstanding the deep and general interest with which 

 Russia has for some years past been regarded, it is a remarkable 

 fact, that scarcely any thing is known of her available warlike re- 

 sources, or of her commerce, her literature, &c. 



On a future occasion we may enter at some length into the 

 subject, but at present we must confine ourselves to the statement 

 of a few of the leading facts which are essential to the formation of 

 a tolerably correct idea of the resources of this ambitious Power. In 

 order to form a perfectly accurate conception of the strength of Russia, 

 as a hostile Power, it would be necessary to advert at some length 

 to her physical condition, which we have not at present space to do. 



The first thing which claims our attention, in estimating the war- 

 like capabilities of Russia, is the state and numerical strength of her 

 army. From our comparative ignorance of the statistics of that em- 

 pire, a great diversity of opinion exists as to the actual number of 

 troops which she could, in a case of exigency, call into the field. A 

 recent traveller, whose means of information on this subject seem to 

 have been better than are usually accessible to our countrymen when 

 residing there, states very clearly what he conceives to be the num- 

 ber and condition of the Russian soldiery. 



"First," he says, " there is the army of Lithuania, which presents 

 a mass of 86,000 combatants, commanded by the Grand Duke Con- 

 stantine. No European army can be compared to it in respect of 

 mechanical instruction. Dispersed in cantonments of about 150 

 leagues in length from Lovitch to Minsk, and of 146 in breadth, be- 

 tween Thovno and Dubno, it can be concentrated at Warsaw, or at 

 Brest-Litovski, in less than three weeks. 



"Second. — The Army of the Right may he considered as composed 

 of a corps d'arm^e, cantoned in Courland and in Livonia, of the corps 

 of the guard, and of the first corps of the cavalry of reserve. These 

 different corps, united, likewise form a mass of 80,000 combatants. 

 These troops are, perhaps, the only ones which, in respect of mecha- 

 nic perfection, rival the army of the Grand Duke Constantine. Their 

 cantonments extend from Molangen to PieskofF, about 138 leagues, 

 and from Revel to Vilkomirz. At the utmost, eighteen days are 

 necessary to assemble them upon the Niemen. 



"Third. — The Army of the Ze/V, called the Secottri- Army, is also 

 formed of a mass of 80,000 combatants, cantoned in the Chersone- 

 sian governments. The greatest length of its quarters, from Khokzym 

 upon the Prulh, to Tchersaski upon the Dnieper, is about 106 

 leagues ; and the greatest breadth 180 leagues between Machnovka, 

 near the southern frontier of Volchinia and Limpheropole, in the 



