BetweenKoporieandSt。Petersburgthereisonlyawretchedhutfortheaccommodationoftravellers。Thecountryisawilderness，andtheinhabitantsdonotevenspeakRussian。ThedistrictiscalledIngria，andIbelievethejargonspokenhasnoaffinitywithanyotherlanguage。Theprincipaloccupationofthepeasantsisrobbery，andthetravellerdoeswellnottoleaveanyofhiseffectsaloneforamoment。
IgottoSt。Petersburgjustasthefirstraysofthesunbegantogildthehorizon。Itwasinthewintersolstice，andthesunroseattheextremityofanimmenseplainattwenty—fourminutespastnine，soIamabletostatethatthelongestnightinRussiaconsistsofeighteenhoursandthreequarters。
IgotdowninafinestreetcalledtheMillione。Ifoundacoupleofemptyrooms，whichthepeopleofthehousefurnishedwithtwobeds，fourchairs，andtwosmalltables，andrentedtomeverycheaply。
Seeingtheenormousstoves，Iconcludedtheymustconsumeavastamountofwood，butIwasmistaken。RussiaisthelandofstovesasVeniceisthatofcisterns。Ihaveinspectedtheinteriorofthesestovesinsummer—timeasminutelyasifIwishedtofindoutthesecretofmakingthem；theyaretwelvefeethighbysixbroad，andarecapableofwarmingavastroom。Theyareonlyrefuelledonceintwenty—fourhours，forassoonasthewoodisreducedtothestateofcharcoalavalveisshutintheupperpartofthestove。
Itisonlyinthehousesofnoblementhatthestovesarerefuelledtwiceaday，becauseservantsarestrictlyforbiddentoclosethevalve，andforaverygoodreason。