53G 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 18U. 



science in Russia would have been 

 to have sent young Russians who 

 had distinguished themselves in the 

 ordinary schools to some good se- 

 minary in Germany, and thence 

 to an university where they might 

 have prepared themselves for their 

 destined career. Such persons as 

 these, at their return, would cer- 

 tainly have furnished the best 

 teachers for the institutions for the 

 promotion of learning. 



At present, on the contrary, the 

 whole course of instruction from 

 the normal schools upwards is ra- 

 dically faulty, because the encyclo- 

 pedian method of teaching so pre- 

 valent in Germany has been intro- 

 duced ; by which method the pupil 

 learns a little of every thing but no- 

 thing thoroughly, and at most ac- 

 quires an historical notion of each 

 science, which in the end proves of 

 no further use to him, and which 

 he very soon forgets. As long as 

 the sciences have been cultivated in 

 Russia, the mathematical ha\'ebeea 

 considered as best adapted to the 

 diffusion of knowledge in the coun- 

 try; but it was long since justly 

 remarked by Schlozer, that no na- 

 tion in the world was ever yet res- 

 • cued from barbarism by the mathe- 

 matics. Nature changes not her 

 course ; and it is by the arts and 

 sciences, by the belles lettres and 

 poetry, that the Greeks and Ro- 

 mans, the Italians, French, Eng- 

 lish and Germans attained to so 

 high a degree of civilization. 



Another almost insurmountable 

 obstacle which will long prevent 

 Russia from making any progress 

 in the sciences, lies in the political 

 constitution. As there is no mid- 

 dle class in this country, the whole 

 nation is divided into two parts, 

 masters and slaves ; and at present 



in another way, into persons who 

 are in the service of the state and 

 such as are not. To the latter be- 

 long the vassals and tradesmen, 

 who have neither inclination nor 

 opportunity to cultivate their 

 minds. The others are much too 

 anxious to obtain honours and titles, 

 which the service alone confers, to 

 devote much time to the sciences. 

 Every one strives at as early an age 

 as possible to procure an appoint- 

 ment under the crown, for which 

 he needs nothing but a good re- 

 commendation, and an acquaint- 

 ance with the Russian style of bu- 

 siness and the laws of the country. 

 He has no encouragement to study 

 the sciences, of which he knows 

 nothing, and for which he thinks 

 that he has no occasion. Till, then, 

 a middle class of citizens shall arise 

 in Russia, no realdiffusion of know- 

 ledge can be reasonably expected. 



Account of Tscherkassk, and 

 THE Don Cossacks. 



From the Same. 



Tscherkassk, the capital of the 

 Don Cossacks, is seated on the 

 right shore of the Don, upon an 

 island formed by the Akssai branch. 

 We arrived at this place towards 

 evening of the Ist of November, 

 and took up our quarters in a 

 roomj' wooden house, the owner of 

 which behaved with great civility. 

 Sinceourdeparturefrom St. Peters- 

 burgh we had travelled 1,947 wersts 

 or 257 German miles. Tscher- 

 kassk differs from all other towns 

 in the mode of building ; for, on 

 account of the annual inundations, 

 which commonly last from April 

 to June, most of the houses of the 

 town are erected upon high poles. 



