On entering the church a wax candle is purchased, and sinking on one knee, bowing his head to the pavement and crossing his breast respectively with the thumb and the two forefingers of his right hand, the worshipper proceeds to the shrine itself, he lights his candle at the holy lamp, and sets it up in one of the numerous sockets in a large silver stand; then, falling low on his bended knee, kisses the pavement before the altar. This we witnessed on another visit, carried out to a most extravagant extent. A young man, almost the only worshipper present, bowed down from a standing position more than sixty times, bumping his head with such force upon the marble floor as to be heard distinctly a considerable distance--a case of insanity, you will suppose, or likely soon to become so. Flame is considered the best spiritual representation; no interment, baptism, or any sacred ceremony is thought of without lamp or taper, greatly exceeding what takes place in the Catholic church. Even the Exchange is not without its Saint and lamp continually burning. On the Sunday we went to the grand church dedicated to St. Isaac, commenced in 1817 and only opened a fortnight before our arrival. This church, with almost the grandeur of St. Peter's at Rome, though not so favourably situated, excels in beauty both the interior and exterior of the Madeleine in Paris. In the foundation of this wonderful structure were driven 10,762 piles, the work of ten engines for a whole year; on these were placed two layers of blocks of granite, carefully worked and never again to be seen, being 15 feet below the surface of the street. They serve as a base to the walls of the cathedral, of which the more important are granite, to the level of the pavement, the remainder being constructed with compact masonry, bed upon bed, costing L200,000. The portico on each of the four fronts consists of twelve Corinthian columns, each 7 feet diameter, and 57 feet long, in one block. The dome is surrounded by 24 columns, each 42 feet in height, and is constructed of metal, viz., 52 tons of copper, 321 tons of brass, 524 tons wrought iron, 1,068 tons of cast iron, and 247 lbs. of ducat gold. Three of the doors are 30 feet high and 12 feet wide, four others 17 feet high and 8 wide. The interior is the form of a great cross, with the dome in the centre, the altar screen 150 feet long and 70 feet high, of white marble, encrusted with porphyry, jasper and other precious stones, and enriched with eight Corinthian columns of malachite and two lapis lazuli 42 feet high, and the doors into the chancel of silver, containing scriptural expressions 35 feet high and 14 wide, the whole costing 52 millions of roubles, or say in round numbers, 8 1/2 millions sterling. The day we attended proved a fete day, and of course was very much crowded by all ranks, from the richest noble to the humblest serf, in one general mass.