thunderstruck, and cock from 21 T TALL

I fly? where conceal

dart upon me, his eyes gane mt era a
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on every side, death in its most his son a
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between the serpent and the place ven i SOL

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the monster open bi inmaz pa me

now only a few paces in me. I sing and re ectom the rock, and an equal begic in the gara

or ente moments hanging by my hands me the are cont find any small projection a pice care ar arms from the weight of my sa ac a

caine forth all my strength and agit. I caned a 300 not a seizing every projection, and biting as an even set reached the edge of the ck auf me vet at During this anxious struggle for it later t to be devoured by the monster:

that species that cand o fer at the erect like the Naga Being the ante serpent, I cast my eyes towards 1 and queries TOME greedily my rice; it was via the area tree Rajah, or Royal Serpent: arra fors length, and its body was cute for the covered all over with velow and sometimes raised ins head, and

"The thought of the great danger Imm made me sensible of the men of the

instantly offered up a gei

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STRANGE CARITAL & Per

IN 1715, the Czarina re

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that occasion lasted eagic tax auten

thunderstruck, and could from no resolution. Where could I fly? where conceal myself? I saw the monster ready to dart upon me, his eyes glaring, and his throat swelling with fury: my situation was such as cannot be described; shut in on every side, death in its most horrible form appeared certain; I had no weapon of defence, my fowling-piece being between the serpent and the place where I stood. An unconquerable irresolution still made me hesitate; but seeing the monster open his immense jaws, quicken his pace, and now only a few paces from me, I sprung about five feet from the rock, and an equal height from the ground, to lay hold of a cleft with my hand. It succeeded! I remained for some moments hanging by my hands over the abyss, before I could find any small projection to place my feet on, and relieve my arms from the weight of my body; at last, however, calling forth all my strength and agility, I obtained a foot hold, and seizing every projection, and holding fast by every cleft, I reached the edge of the rock, and drew myself to the top. During this anxious struggle for life, I expected every moment to be devoured by the monster; but, fortunately, it was not of that species that crawl upon their tails, with their heads. erect like the Naga. Being now beyond the reach of the serpent, I cast my eyes towards it, and observed it eating greedily my rice; it was what the natives call the Pambon Rajah, or Royal Serpent; it appeared at least fifty feet in length, and its body was considerably thicker than mine, covered all over with yellow and black spotted scales; it sometimes raised its head, and its general motion was slow and regular.

"The thought of the great danger I had escaped from, made me sensible of the mercy of the Creator, to whom I instantly offered up a grateful prayer for my astonishing deliverance."

STRANGE CARNIVAL AT PETERSBURGH.

IN 1715, the Czarina of Russia, being brought to bed of a prince, to the unspeakable joy of the Czar, the rejoicing on that occasion lasted eight days, and he was also baptized by

the name of Peter. The solemnities were attended with the most extraordinary pomp, as splendid entertainments, balls, and fireworks; at one of the entertainments, three curious pies were served up; upon opening the first at the table of the grandees, out stepped a female dwarf, having nothing on but a head-dress; she made a speech to the company, and then the pie was carried away; at the table of the ladies, a male dwarf was served up in the same manner; out of the third, at the table of the gentlemen, sprung a covy of twelve partridges, with such a fluttering noise, as greatly surprised the company; in the evening a noble firework was played off, in honor of the new-born Peter, with several curious devices, and on the top of all was this inscription, in large char

acters:

HOPE WITH PATIENCE.

These rejoicings were followed by a kind of carnival; the Czar having united the patriarchial dignity, and the great revenues belonging to it, to the crown, and to render the charac ter of the Patriarch ridiculous in the eyes of the people, he appointed Sotof, his jester, now in the eighty-fourth year of his age, mock-patriarch, who on this occasion was married to a buxom widow of thirty-four, and the nuptials of this extraordinary couple were celebrated in masquerade by about four hundred persons of both sexes, every four persons having their proper dress and peculiar musical instruments; the persons appointed to invite the company were four of the greatest stammerers in the kingdom; the four running footmen were the most unwieldy, gouty, fat men, that could be found; the bridemen, stewards, and waiters, very old men; and the priest that joined them in marriage was upwards of one hundred years old. The procession, which began at the Czar's palace, and crossed the river upon the ice, proceeding to the great church near the senate-house, was in the following order: first, a sledge, with the four footmen; secondly, another with the stammerers, the bridemen, stewards, and waiters; then followed Knez Romadanofski, the farcical Czar, who represented King David in his dress, but instead of a harp, had a lyre, covered with a bear-skin, to play upon; and he being the chief character in the show, his sledge was made in imitation of a throne, and he had King David's crown

upon his head, and four bears, one at each corner, tied to his sledge, by way of footmen, and one behind standing and holding the sledge with his two paws; the bears being all the while pricked with goads, which made them roar in a frightful manner; then the bridegroom and bride, on an elevated sledge made on purpose, surrounded with cupids holding each a large horn in his hand; on the fore part of the sledge was placed by way of coachman, a ram with very large horns; and behind, was a he-goat, by way of lackey; behind them followed a number of other sledges, drawn by different kinds of animals, four to each, as rams, goats, deer, bulls, bears, dogs, wolves, swine, and asses; then came a number of sledges, drawn by six horses each, with the company; the sledges were made long, with a bench in the middle, stuffed with hair, and covered with cloth; twenty persons in one sledge, sitting behind each other, as on horseback. The procession no sooner began to move, than all the bells of the city began to ring, and all the drums of the fort, towards which they were advancing, began to beat upon the ramparts; the different animals were forced to make a noise; all the company playing upon, or rattling their different instruments, and altogether made such a confused noise, that it is past description. The Czar, with his three companions, Prince Menzikoff, and the Counts Apraxin and Bruce, were clad like Friesland boors, each with a drum. From church the procession returned to the palace, where all the company were entertained till twelve at night, when the same procession went by the light of the flambeaux to the bride's house, to see the young married couple fairly bedded.

This carnival lasted ten days, the company going every day from one house to another, at each of which were tables spread with all sorts of cold meat, and with such abundance of strong liquors every where, that there scarce was a sober person to be found during that time in Petersburgh. On the tenth day, the Czar gave a grand entertainment at the Senate-house, on the close of which, every one of the guests was presented with a large glass, with a cover, called the Double-Eagle, containing a large bottle of wine, which every body was obliged to drink; to avoid this, "I," says Mr. Bruce, "made my escape, pretending to the officer upon guard, that I was sent on a message from the Czar, which he believing,