New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-03

mineral resources Of Russia its importance ana ~
fcency can now scarcely be oyer-estlmated. Nearly
the whole Of the immense building Is devoted to
cole ctions Of minerals, models OF al kinds oi ma
chnery used in mining and lac-smiles OF all the
principal mines, with Their shafts, galleries and
veins of ore, constructed with the most wonderful
labor and skill. The Minerals form dazzling gal-
,ery Of crude wealth. There is the famous nugget
of the Ural-an 3Olb. limp Of pure gold; mass Of
maachte, weighing 1900 lbs.; a single perfect
beryl, weighing six pounds, and valued at $4,000;
crusted sheets Of deep violet amethySts; huge
blocks of jasper, Of all imaginable hues; slabs of
precious marble, and powders Of granite and por
phyry, together with ores of platina, silver cop
per and ron--bright sUd beautiful spirits, wait
ing for the touch of FIRE 10 be released from their
dusty prisons. The specimens are Of the rarest
and most costly character, filling several large halls.
After We had inspected the models Of machines,
buildings AMI mines, an cd soldier conducted US
into the cellar gave each long wax candle, and
unlocked heavy iron door. We entered, and the
hinges closed behind u.s. As il by magic we stood
in the bowels Of a coal mine-in winding, narrow
shaft trayersed by strata Of clay, coal and crumb
ling slate rock. All the various dips positions and
characters of coal beds here displayed in turn.
A laby rinth Of mines succeeded-silver, lead COP
per, gold aud iron, initiated with astonishing
fidelity TO nature. The dampness of the SOIL which
filed the passages with raw, chill air, completed
the resemblance. At intervals, shafts from above
(of very trifing depth, naturally penetrated ths
subterranean region, and Illustrated the various
means Of communication with the surface. In fact
the School Of Mines, from beginning to end, is one
Of the most thoroughly sensible and practical insti
tutons have ever seen.
On the AptekartkOi Island just above tie
Troitzka Bridge, is the cottage of Peter the Crest
his first residence in the young capital. 1t l.
built Of logs and contains only three small rooms
In order the effectlaly to preserve it, brick
house bas been built around and over it, and the
rude old hut has thus become a sort Of shrine
whittier the deyout Russians flock in crowds. The
main room is in fact religious sanctuary, hung
with holy pictures and hot with the flames of
dozen wax candles. At the time of my visit il
was filed with crowd Of common people, bow
ing and crossing themselves, muttering prayers
and lighting tapers, in an atmosphere 30 unctuous
and sitting that l was obliged to retire imme.
diately The custode, who was evidently mar.
ried man, unlocked the inner rooms at the sight OF
a silver piece, and showed me the rough table and
stools, made by Peters own hand, as well as the
tattered sail which belonged to his boat. At one
end of the house is the boat itself, light, trim,
sharp craft about fifteen feet long, which Braisted,
after carefully inspecting with seaman's eye, pro-
nounced "well done!" 1t would be well if all ap.
prentices now adays learned their trades as well
as Master Peter of Saardam. 1t is curious to find,
however that the man who first broke the power
of the Russian priesthood and forcibly uprooted so
many old customs and supersttions should now,
although uncauonzed, receive tie hoDors due to 8
saint.
Twill not ask you to accompany me to the Cathe-
dra of Our Lady Of Kazan, or to the Preobra-
iensky, Smolnoi and st. Alexander Nevsky
Churches They are all quite modern in charac-
ter, with tho exception Of the Tartaresque, be
spaneled spires on the three latter. The last
named contains the tomb of Suwarrow, and the
body Of the saint to whom it is dedicated, in coffin
Of massive silver, weighing five thousand pounds.
This relic was formerly preserved in monastery
on the banks Of the Volga, whence Peter the Great
transferred it to the capital Very soon aftcrward
the saint disappeared, and was found again in biz
old place, being dissatisfied $50 said the monks)
with his removal. Nevertheless, Peter had him
brought back a second time, and threatened the
monks with the severest penalties if they allowed
him to escape. 1t is needless to add that the saint
kept perfectly quiet after that. AT Naples, during
the French occupation, the blood of st. Januaruf
was once made 10 Gquefy in the same arbitrary
manner.
Behind the Gostnnoi DvOr is a curious market
known through Petersburg as the Aprarin Riaok
or "Lou,e Exchange" from the questionable
cleanliness of its booths, occupants and customers
But LET not the stranger be deferred from entering
by the natural hesitation which the name inspires
1t is secondhand market, or bazaar, similar to
those in Moscow, but of much greater extent, con
tanning upward OF FIVE thousand booths. A few
PAGES after leaving the noisy Garden street you are
in the midst of queer, shabby, ruinous looking
town, where the silence is broken only by such
cries as: "What would please you, my lOrdr
"Herc are excellent mattresses a very cheap
carragem Pictures. Behold the beautiful st.
Nicholas" "Iron wheel -tires-here they arer
Here are the swords" Brass kettes-please
to step nr' &c. The wares are arranged in sep.
arate streets but without regard to their fitness
resemblance, and everybody offers you what he has,
though it might be something which you never buy.
We were simply curious strangers, any one could
see; yet we were pressingly solicited to buy old
bedding, leather, rusty iron, household furni.
ture sleds salt fish, shrnes, crosses and pictures,
to say nothing of shabby, greasy caftans and dam.
aged hats, which could not even be touched with
out heroic effort. To judge frcm the great ex.