146

RUSSIAN LUNCH

ROYAL VISITORS.

the noble piano which adorned our saloon. One of these gentlemen had the reputation of being the best pianist of the city.

In our visits to Cronstadt, we had much polite and friendly kindness from Mr. Wilkins, the partner of the American viceconsul, Mr. Rowe. At Mr. Wilkins' hospitable abode Captain Eldridge, his lady, and a few of us, partook of an elegant lunch, which we shall often think of with pleasure. Here we partook of a variety of Russian luxuries, which we had not met with in the hotels. Such sweetmeats I never tasted. They were of various kinds; and one, made of berries, we thought superior to the strawberry. Caviare and mushrooms were on the table in perfection. At our request, we were treated to a taste of the national beverage, quass, and a very small taste sufficed; a more villanous compound I never tasted. Wilkins and his family were constant.

The attentions of Mr.

Our purchases in Cron

stadt were chiefly Russian robes, Kezan soap, and shoes.

In going on shore on this occasion, with the captain, we nearly met with an accident. We proposed to go through the Merchant Dock, and it is so crowded as to make it a difficult navigation. Our boat got jammed between two vessels in motion, and such a cracking as the ribs of our gig made proved the sense she felt of injury. Luckily, one of the vessels yawed off, or we should have been crushed most certainly.

We noticed a steamer alongside, with an evidently distinguished party of visitors, one of the gentlemen in full dress, and wearing the broad ribbon of a field-marshal. As soon as the visitors came on the quarter-deck, they announced themselves, and we had the honor to welcome the Grand Duchess of Oldenburgh, the niece of the Czar, and her family of seven chil dren, attended by their tutors and governesses. The gentleman in charge of them was Field-marshal Toltog. As soon as the duchess came on board, she asked me if I knew her " very dear friend, good Dr. Baird, of New York," of whom she spoke in terms of the warmest friendship and respect; and also of other

manners.

STEAMBOAT VISIT AT NIGHT.

147

minister's, whom he had, she said, so kindly commended to her acquaintance. This lady speaks English fluently, and is, beyond all doubt, a decidedly Christian character. The party remained on board two or three hours, partook of refreshments, and were very much gratified. The daughter of the princess was a charming girl of about fifteen, very intelligent, and simple in her The duchess, at leaving, begged me, if ever I revisited St. Petersburg, to report myself at once at her palace. All the members of her suite were English, and appeared to be pious people. On the evening before we sailed, we saw a steamer approaching from St. Petersburg, with streamers flying, and a band of music playing. As soon as she came up, we found that Major Brown, his lady and daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Ropes, and a numerous party of friends, had come down to take a farewell, and had brought with them the imperial band, the finest in Russia. This was an unexpected gratification, for which we were indebted to Major Brown. Mrs. Brown and I had a long talk over our old friends in Newport, and her deep interest in them led to a. very protracted chat, during which the party, under the fine awning of our spacious quarter-deck, had been busily engaged in waltzing to music which is rarely equalled. Refreshments were brought to the company, and the band played Hail Columbia, God save the Queen, and The Emperor's March; and then, amid a display of rockets and blue lights from the North Star, and nine hearty cheers from both boats, our kind friends "all went home in the morning,". for it was one o'clock when they cast off. The player on the clarinet had recently received a diamond ring from the emperor, as an award of distinguished skill as a performer.

Our great regret at leaving Russia is not having seen the great, and, I believe, good man, the emperor, who has done so much to elevate the condition of the masses in his extensive dominions, and to improve the entire country. I leave Russia with exalted opinions of the wisdom and patriotism of the

148

THE CZAR- NARROW ESCAPE.

emperor, and doubt not that, if his life be spared, Russi will continue to advance in all that makes a country great and powerful and happy. I have heard anecdotes in plenty respecting the Czar, and all of them reflect great honor upon the qualities of his head and heart; but I do not feel that I am at liberty to state them in this public manner, as they were related to me in the social circle, by men who are favorably situated to know their truth. Some of our party saw the emperor at the church of the palace, at Peterhoff; but I spent that Sabbath in the city. Had we remained a day or two longer, we should have seen the emperor on board; but his time and thoughts had all been engrossed with the pressing affairs of the great vexed question between Russia and Turkey.

Our steam was now up, and just as we were weighing anchor a steamer hove in sight, adorned with flags and streamers; but she was too late; the North Star was under weigh, and close by us was an English steamer, bound to London, having on board the Dowager Queen of Holland, who has been making a short visit to her brother, the Czar.

Just as we were leaving the guard-ship, we were all much excited by a cry that a small boat was run over by our wheels. We flocked to the guards, and then found that a boat, with two boys and a man, from one of the neighboring ships, had got so close to our steamer that, in fright, one boy had jumped out of the boat, and was hanging on to the iron braces that support the guards. We stopped the yacht, and rescued the boy, who looked thoroughly scared; he was a fine-looking youth of sixteen, and hailed from Scotland. We were now off; and shall we ever again witness such sunsets, such evenings, such nights, as we have here enjoyed for the last few days?

CHAPTER X.

VOYAGE-COPENHAGEN

THORWALDSEN'S MUSEUM - FRUEKIRKE ——— "HOR

-

WALDSEN'S CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES-THE SCULPTOR-ROSENBERGH PALACE ITS RICH COLLECTIONS OF ART-COINS AND MEDALS PARK

WE left Russia June 29,-weather fine. The 30th, the wind was strong and ahead, and more sea on than we had yet experienced. In the Baltic, the ship pitched considerably.

Friday, July 1st, calm, we again went along quietly, and with only two boilers. At ten o'clock P. M., we passed Bornholm, a Danish island, eighty miles from Copenhagen, and at half-past five in the morning were anchored off the city; and, after a hasty breakfast, went on shore in our own boats, determined to improve the day, as we were limited to five o'clock in the afternoon.

Copenhagen, the capital of the kingdom of Denmark, is situated on the eastern coast of the island of Zealand, at the southern extremity of a channel connecting the Cattegat with the Baltic, this is called the Sound, - and partly on the north coast of the small island of Amager, or, as it is often called, Amak. The situation is favorable for commerce. favorable for commerce. The city is enclosed by ramparts, and is defended by several bastions and outworks, and, towards the sea, by a strong citadel; and powerful batteries command the entrance to the harbor. These forts are called the Three Crowns. The navy-yard is in front of the city, at the upper end of Amak, and appears to be in excellent condition, with immense store and ship houses. Here are several fine ships-of-the-line and frigates. The port is formed by an

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COPENHAGEN, ETC.

arm of the sea, and is capable of accommodating five hundred ships besides the navy; and, by canals, the shipping can pass into the town.

The aspect of Copenhagen from the sea is fine, and the palace spires and church steeples have a pretty effect. The climate is damp, and the bills of mortality are not favorable to its reputation for health. The cholera had just broken out here as we arrived, and its ravages were awful for the next six weeks, and gave a larger amount of deaths, in proportion to the population, than had before occurred in its history in Europe.

The population is one hundred and thirty-four thousand, of which about two thousand five hundred are Jews. The streets are in poor condition. The shops, with a few exceptions, are poor; the women were gayly dressed, and I noticed many in red apparel, with very handsomely-worked caps. The government is, since 1848, a constitutional monarchy, and the religion is Lutheran, and toleration given to other creeds; but, strange as it seems, certificates of baptism, confirmation and vaccination, are necessary to apprenticeship and marriage! I never found so many persons before in a foreign country who spoke English. We secured a good guide in a man who had formerly served my valued friend, Governor Arnold, of Rhode Island, in the same capacity, when he made an extended visit to the North Cape. I called on our United States Chargé d'Affaires, to whom I had letters of introduction; but he was absent from the city; and this, too, was unfortunately the case with Professor Rafn, the great northern antiquarian, to whom I had a letter from the Hon. J. R. Bartlett, the commissioner for the United States in the Mexican boundary affair. This was a severe disappointment, as I longed to see the great museum of northern antiquities, which was closed, but which I should have probably seen had this learned man been at home.

Our first visit was paid to the Thorwaldsen Museum, which is a very spacious and striking building, behind the royal chapel.