ST. PETERSBURG. 385 



out to a rich contractor for ten thousand dollars a-year. 

 His magazines contained, at the time the travellers visit- 

 ed them, one hundred and fifty thousand pounds of 

 amber. Being highly inflammable it was kept in vaulted 

 rooms, which were secured with iron doors. 



They arrived at St. Petersburg on the 1st of May, 

 and found everything in readiness for their journey. 

 Carriages, couriers, and horses were placed at their dis- 

 posal by Count Cancrin ; a military escort was provided 

 for them, and even their residences on the way were 

 selected. A Russian mining officer was appointed as 

 Humboldt's companion, to give him information regard- 

 ing the roads and localities, and to see that the authori- 

 ties performed what was required of them. 



The travellers remained some time in St. Petersburg, 

 in order to see its sights before they commenced their 

 journey. They visited the public institutions of the 

 capital, and most of the show-places in the vicinity. As 

 might have been expected, from their tastes, and the 

 objects of their journey, they were attracted by the 

 mineralogical collections of St. Petersburgh, and the size 

 and splendour of the crown jewels. The largest of these 

 jewels was on the top of the imperial sceptre. It 

 weighed one hundred ninety-four and three-quarter 

 carats, and its greatest diameter was one inch three and 

 and a half lines. Formerly in the possession of Nadir 

 Shah, whose throne it long adorned, it was bought, 

 with other jewels, after his death, by an Armenian at 

 at Bagdad, for fifty thousand piastres. From this Arme- 

 nian it was purchased by Catharine the Second, at the 

 price of four hundred and fifty thousand silver rubles, 

 and a patent of nobility. 



17 



