THE NEVA. 5 
little of what occurred before the bloodshed commenced, 
and the spot was indicated to me by him, where, standing 
between the two pillars of the Senate House, whence he 
was looking down upon the commotion, he saw an officer 
ride up to two or three soldiers, who were standing at his 
feet, and greatly excited, and cry to the men, ‘Call out 
Constantine e Constitutzio/’ The men hesitated, grounded 
their arms, and insisted to know who Constitutzio was. 
‘Constantine’s wife, you blockheads,’ was the reply. 
‘Ah Xoroshos/ (all right), and forthwith the cry was 
raised, Constantine e Constitutzio / 
While these shouts were being raised a shot was heard, 
whether fired accidentally or of design was unknown, and 
Milardovitch, the Military Governor-General of the city, 
who was riding in front of the troops addressing to them 
soothing words, fell dead. He was a man universally 
beloved ; great confusion immediately ensued, and fighting 
began amongst those who had marched thither animated 
by acommon purpose. Soon regiment was firing upon 
regiment, which of them in the supposed interests of the 
Crown, which of them in the supposed prosecution of 
rebellion, it would have been difficult to say. Dreadful 
was the slaughter. At length one party remained masters 
of the field—either they were the loyal party, or if they 
were not, and there were none such in the fight, they 
found it convenient to proclaim themselves such; and 
order was re-established. It was in winter, the snow on 
the plain was everywhere red with blood; but during the 
night which followed, openings were made in the ice which 
covered the Neva, which flows past the place; and into 
these, it is said, the dead and the dying were thrown pro- 
miscuously. These the rapid-flowing river carried quickly 
away ; the snow was cleared off, and similarly disposed of; 
and by the following day peace was restored. 
I said to one of the officers of a so-called loyal regiment: 
‘ Now, tell me, were you all perfectly loyal?’ ‘ As loyal as 
man is to God,’ was his reply, given with great solemnit 
‘and assurance. I said, ‘That is not in accordance with 
