484 R U S 
floating batteries, 121 gun-boats, and numerous armed small 
craft. This fleet is manned by 32,000 men. 
The emperor Alexander died suddenly of a fever, at Ta- 
ganrok, on the 19th day of November, 1825. He had pre¬ 
viously, with the consent of the senate, and the approbation 
of the imperial family, disqualified his brother Constantine, 
the presumptive heir, from reigning. In favour, however, 
of this prince, the feeling seemed so strong in the army, that 
apprehensions were entertained for the peace of the empire. 
Constantine, however, ceded his rights voluntarily; and a 
body of soldiers, who refused to acknowledge the elected 
emperor Nicholas, were attacked, and several of them de¬ 
stroyed. The only event that has occupied the present 
reign, is the trial and condemnation of the conspirators of 
the 26th of December. These were a number of officers, 
who had served in France and Germany, had imbibed some 
crude notions of liberty, and had formed secret societies in 
different parts of the empire, for the purpose either of esta¬ 
blishing a constitutional monarchy, or a republic. The prin¬ 
cipal characters were Alexander Nikita, Serg, Mouravieff, 
Prince Tronsbetsky Nonkiff (formerly director of the office 
of Governor-General of Russia proper), Michael Lounime, 
besides a great number of minor characters. A society, 
called the “ Union of Safety, or the True and Faithful Sons of 
the Country,” was formed soon after the return of the Russian 
armies from France and Germany, in 1814 and 1815, and a 
number of branch societies were established in different 
parts of the country, at different periods. According to the 
report, which cannot of course be trusted, their seems to 
have been little union among the principal leaders, and 
nothing like a concerted plan, or rational system of liberty 
adopted. It is said, that some proposed a republic—some a 
constitutional monarchy—and that some wished to assassi¬ 
nate the emperor Alexander, and put the empress Elizabeth 
on the throne. It is highly surprising if their opinions were 
so dissonant, that they should have held together so long. 
The following is the result of the sentences pronounced 
against them. Thirty-six were sentenced to death, but five 
only have been hanged. The sentences of the others being- 
commuted to labour in the mines. 
The Emperor Nicholas, with the documents relative to 
this conspiracy, submitted also to the senate his reflexions 
on the situation of the Russian army, and on his position 
with respect to the Ottoman Porte; and he requested the 
senate to advise him in what manner he ought to act. 
They are understood to have protested in the strongest man¬ 
ner against any interference on the part of the emperor in 
the contest between the Greeks and Turks. With respect to 
the formation of the Russian army, the senate are said to 
have given their opinion, to re-model the whole, and to 
reduce its number by one half, dismissing, without delay, 
all those officers and soldiers who possessed property, or had 
other occupations whence they could derive subsistence, and 
who, in short, united the duties of a military life, with those 
of the citizen or the agriculturist. They recommend, that 
the nobleman so circumstanced, should retire to his estate, 
and the peasant to his labour. 
The last news from Russia announces the pompous cere- 
monial of the coronation of Nicholas, and the perfect quie¬ 
tude of the empire. 
Soil and Climate of Russia. 
Nothing can be more false than the almost general asso¬ 
ciation of extreme cold with the name of Russia. The 
summer of its northern governments, though short, is very 
warm; and the southern provinces enjoy a mild climate 
throughout the year. Authors, in treating of the climate of 
Russia, have divided the empire into regions, some choosing 
but three, others four regions. Herrmann adopts the four 
following:— 
1st. The very cold region, extending from 78° to 60° of 
north latitude. 2d. The cold region, extending from 60° to 
55° of north latitude. 3d. The moderate region, extending 
from 55° to 50° of north latitude. 4th. The hot region, ex¬ 
tending from 60° to the southernmost parts of the empire. 
S I A. 
In a great extent of the first region there is scarcely any 
summer; for the few months it does not snow or rain scarcely 
deserve that name. The eastern districts of this region are 
much colder and more barren than the western. At Peters- 
burgh, the climate is rude and severe, and sometimes exces¬ 
sively cold. There, Fahrenheit’s thermometer has stood as 
low as 39° below 0. When the weather is moderate, the air 
pure, and the sun shining, and without any wind, a well- 
clothed healthy person enjoys even this frigid season. But 
when a severe east wind arises during frost, all animated 
nature feels its powerful influence. When it snows, with a 
gentle wind in the depth of winter, nothing can present a 
more gloomy, lurid, desponding spectacle, than the splendid 
capital of the north. The spring here has frequently much 
frost, snow, and rain, and is peculiarly disagreeable at the 
breaking up of the ice, when the streets are nearly im¬ 
passable. But the transition from one season to the other is 
almost instantaneous. The short summer of four months is, 
for the most part, fine, and often delightful. It is occa¬ 
sionally oppressively sultry; so that the cool and beautiful 
mornings and evenings are highly enjoyed. When the days 
are at the longest, i. e. about 18J hours, the twilights are 
charming beyond conception, and sometimes so luminous, 
that a person can read in the open air at midnight. The 
autumn has sometimes bright days, but is more generally 
cloudy, wet, and boisterous. The winter is always severe, 
but varies considerably both as to the degree of severity, 
and as to the period of the greatest cold. Most frequently, 
however, the severest frosts occur in January. During the 
winter months, the atmosphere is generally dry, and the 
mortality is less than at other seasons of the year. The 
length of the shortest day is only five and a half hours; and 
when they happen to be cold and gloomy, there is little 
earthly enjoyment out of doors, though the body be well 
enveloped in a fur shoob, fur cap, and fur boots, so as to 
defy the effects of cold, and the mind be ever so disposed to 
gaiety, except the natural amusement of descending the ice- 
hills, and looking at trotting matches on the river. But while 
winter rages without, the inhabitants at home feel not its effects 
in their well-warmed houses. During this season of the year 
the NSva is covered with ice nearly a yard in thickness. 
On an average, there are annually from 150 to 190 days of 
frost, during which the ground is frozen to the depth of 
nearly three feet. The aurora borealis is very frequent, and 
its corruscations peculiarly varied. Thunder storms are not 
unfrequent, and are sometimes violent, high winds are not 
predominant, and it seldom hails; but hoar-frosts, pro¬ 
ducing the most beautiful appearances on the trees, are very 
frequent. When the sun shines, these trees appear like 
enormous chandeliers covered with millions of resplendent 
gems. 
In the second region of the empire the summer is indeed 
short in many parts; but in most of them it is so warm, and 
the days are so long, that the fruits of the earth usually coma 
to maturity in a shorter time than in other places. The 
winter in the greatest part of this region is generally very 
severe. 
In the third region the winter is also long and cold, espe¬ 
cially in some parts of Siberia. This is rather owing to the 
lofty mountains with which these districts abound, than to 
their high degree of latitude. The governments belonging 
to this region in European Russia, however, usually enjoy a 
short and mild winter, and a fine warm summer. 
In the fourth region the winter is short, and except in 
some parts of Irkutsk and Kholivan, not very cold; and the 
summer is warm, and in many parts very dry. One of the 
most delightful districts in this region is the Krimea, or 
rather its south coast. 
The most celebrated mountains of Russia, are Mount 
Kaucasus, stretching between the Caspian and the Black Sea; 
the Ural mountains, separating Europe from Asia; the moun¬ 
tains of Olonets, which extend to an immense length, and on 
the north divide Russia from Sweden; the romantic moun¬ 
tains on the south coast of the Krimea; the Altaic chain, 
which has various names in different places, and separates 
Russia 
