THE 
GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE. 
NEW SERIES. DECADE II. VOL. IV. 
No. VIII.— AUGUST, 1877. 
OIRia-HDTA-Ia AETICLES. 
I. — Achoss Eubope and Asia. — Teavelling Notes. 
By Professor John Milne, F.G.S. ; 
Imperial College of Engineering, Tokei, Japan. 
(Continued from p. 297.) 
Part II. — From St. Petersburg to Perm. 
Contents. — St. Petersburg, its Public Buildings, Museums, Monuments, etc. — 
Moscow.— N ijni Kovgorod. — Kiver Volga. — Biver Kama. — Perm. 
ATUBE has by no means contiibuted her cliarms to tbe adorn- 
ment of St. Petersburg. Iu fact, it is built upon a marsh, in a 
Situation so flat that it is not until you have almost landed tbat you 
can see anything of this great city. Tbe only object in cboosing 
such a site appears in a sentiment of its founder, who wisbed to 
have “ a window looking out into Europe.” In some openings ruade 
in tbe streets and public gardens, I saw sections of from löft. to 20ft. 
tbick, wbicb gave some idea of tbe weak foundation on wbicb 
certainly a large part of tbis great nortbern Capital bas been placed. 
It was all a bluisb-grey sand. Beneatb tbis sand I was told tbere 
was a bed of clay. But for tbis, if I may judge from tbe weak 
foundations wbicb I saw, tbe look-out of tbe Bussian Czar migbt by 
tbis time bave entirely sunk from view. 1 Tbe low Situation of St. 
Petersburg, togetber witb its marsby surroundings, at certain seasons 
gives rise to a mild malaria; and if you visit the city in summer- 
time, you will find tbat all tbe wealtby inbabitants bave, in con- 
sequence, migrated towards tbe sea. 
On tbe day after my arrival I paid a visit to tbe Government 
Scbool of Mines, wbere tbere are about 450 students. Before entering, 
as at otber bigber government scbools, tbe candidate must pass an 
examination or produce a diploma from one of tbe Gymnasiums 
wbicb exist iu nearly all tbe towns tbrougbout tbe kingdom. He 
tben enteis upon a five years’ course, paying about 30 roubles (nearly 
£5) annually. Tbe System of education is very like tbat adopted in 
many otber European Mining Scbools, but very different from tbat 
wbicb is followed out in tbe Government Scbool of England, — many 
subjects being taugbt, and eacb one spread over a great number of 
years. ln sucb a System a Student, leaving before tlie Curriculum is 
run, does so witb a smattering of mucb, but witb no tborougbness 
1 Peter the Great, wbo, after aispossessing the Swedes, in 1702, of this neiglibour- 
hood, commenced, in the spring of 1703, to build the town, drafüng annually 40,000 
men from distant parts of the empire for this puipose. 
DECADE II. — VOL. IV. — NO. TIII. 22 
