240 HER KNOWLEDGE OF RUSSIA. 



the Russian ship Kamtschatka, with Captain 

 Golowin, and had afterwards returned to his 

 own country, had told her many things con 

 cerning Petersburg and the Emperor. She 

 said she would have liked to make the voyage 

 herself, but that Lauri s fearful description 

 of the cold had terrified her. He had told 

 her, that it was necessary to envelope the body 

 entirely in fur, and that even this would not 

 obviate all danger of losing the nose and ears ; 

 that the cold changed the water into a solid 

 substance, resembling glass in appearance, but 

 of so much strength that it was used for a high 

 road, people passing over it in huge chests 

 drawn by horses, without breaking it ; that the 

 houses were as high as mountains, and so large, 

 that he had walked three days in one of them 

 without coming to the end of it. It was evi 

 dent that Lauri had stretched a little ; but No- 

 mahanna had no notion of incredulity. She ap 

 proved of our inventions for warming the inside 

 of our houses, and thought, that if she were at 

 Petersburg, she would not go out at all during 

 the cold weather, but would drive her carriage 

 about the house. She inquired how it could 



