Page:Ancient and modern history of the Russian Empire.pdf/9

9 which defends it, was almost entirely planned by the Emperor, Peter the Great, himself; and as the marshy situation of both rendered it necessary that the foundations should be upon wooden piles, driven into the ground, no fewer than 300,000 men were employed for some time day and night in that work; and during this, and many of his other works, the Emperor himself often assisted as a common labourer.

In the citvcity [sic] of Petersburg there is a Cabinet of Natural History, in which, is shewn among other curiosites, a complete Rhinoceros dug up on the banks of the river Valui, in suoh a state of preservation as even to have the hair upon it. In Siberia there are sometimes dug up the bones of an unknown animal, of enormous magnitude, far exceeding in size those of the largest Elephants We are also informed, that in different parts of Siberia, as well in the mountains as the vallies, likewise in Germany, Peru, the Brazils, and North America, ouon [sic] the banks o£ the Ohio, near the river Mimame, about 700 miles from the sea, and 5 or six feet beneath the surface of the ground, there have frequently been found fossil tusks, and bones of a very lagre size; somewhat resembling those of the elephant. In temperate climates these are softened, and converted into fossil ivory; but in countries frequently frozen, they are generally found very fresh. According to tradition, they are the bones of the Mammouth, an annimal no longer to found on the surface of the globe. This animal, however, is described by M. Muller, as of a greyish colour, about thirty feet long, and