On account of the boggy state of the ground the buildings are constructed on piles at an enormous expense, so that it has been said by an English resident that larger sums had been expended under ground than above, which I can the more readily believe after witnessing the extraordinary foundations of a new palace now in the course of erection.
Most of the buildings, including palaces and churches, are built of brick, and covered with a cement of various colours; often out of condition and presenting a less substantial appearance.
The pavement is generally in a bad state, consisting mostly of pebbles of every size mingled together, and all, I should say, wrong side up, in some places a yard or two without any at all.
This condition of the streets, with the droshkies, a small four-wheel carriage, holding two persons, sitting together behind the driver, or sometimes back to back, with the fore-wheels about twelve inches high, and drawn very rapidly over such a pavement, you may suppose, makes it no easy matter to keep your seat.
The droshky drivers have generally a round hat, and wear long loose dresses almost reaching to their heels, with a band round their waist. They carry a tin plate between their shoulders with a number on it; never drive with blinkers, and rarely use a whip, but having a rein in each hand, urge on their little horses at great speed over the uneven pavement without once coming down, so far as we observed.
There are other carriages like our English cabs drawn by one or two horses, but the droshky is in most general use.
We did not see many equipages, most of the nobility having left the city, and very few gentlemen on horseback save a few Cossacks or other military.
Passing through the streets, we were astonished at the vast number of pigeons flying in all directions, and frequently alighting in the most crowded parts of the city.
This bird, we were informed, is held sacred by the natives, and of course would soon become very numerous if they were not diminished by foreigners and others less scrupulous, who are supposed to convey them quietly from their roosting quarters to form an important part in culinary operations.