XLVI.
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1848.
I wrote you last from the beautiful city of Stockholm, and stated that I intended visiting Russia if a passport could be procured; as in consequence of the revolutions in Europe, the Czar had given peremptory orders to all the Russian ministers not to grant a visé to any but Russian subjects. From this cause, and the prevalence of the cholera, and strict quarantine, no steamers were plying between the two countries.
The only means of entering Russia, therefore, was by taking a small steamer for Finland, then posting one hundred and fifty miles to Helsingfors, where a steamer would be found for Revel, in Livonia, and thence to Cronstadt and St. Petersburg. Through the politeness of our minister at Stockholm, Col. H. W. Elsworth, I was made bearer of despatches to St. Petersburg, but without charge to Uncle Sam, and took my departure on board of a small steamer, with four Finland passengers, who were Russian subjects, in a small cabin with two berths, and two settees. It reminded me in some respects of my expedition up the Nile, from the fact that we were obliged to lay in a stock of provisions ourselves, there being no restaurant on board. My friends dissuaded me from going, and I anticipated but little pleasure; but fortunately the weather was beautiful, and with a little German, mixed with Swedish, and one of our number who spoke French, we understood each other perfectly. In less than two days we had descended the river, traversed the straits, and coasted along through the thousand picturesque islands of Finland to Abo, a pleasant seaport of fifteen to twenty thousand inhabitants. I then took private conveyance and post horses, which went like the wind, on full gallop to Helsingfors, a considerable seaport, celebrated for its sea-baths, and much resorted to by the Russians. I found here a steamer for Livonia, and thence to this city.
This was an agreeable trip through Finland. The rude and primitive habits of the people; the wild, half-cultivated country; the common country inns, with the floors sprinkled with small branches and leaves of the pine tree, which imparted an odor throughout the house; the spittoons, instead of sand, filled with wild flowers—how novel everything was! In the month of June, the traveller can write up his journal at night without candles, as the sun sets at eleven P.M. and rises at two A.M. This is the bright side of the picture; but in the winter, when imbedded in snow and ice, you can judge for yourselves of the amount of pleasure. When spring once breaks, vegetation comes forth rapidly, and from sixty to ninety days the crops are ready for the sickle.
St. Petersburg is considered the most brilliant capital in Europe, although it is situated upon the banks of the Neva, in a low and unhealthy location, and almost on a level with the river; the vast resources of Russia, however, have contributed to fill the marshes and build up the imperial city in all its grandeur, through the genius of the best artists from all countries, and here may be found a little of all which is produced in other parts of Europe. In approaching the city one is struck with the grandeur of the domes and spires of the churches, glittering with gold in the distance, and after entering it, with the magnificence of its monuments and public edifices. There is a good deal of style in the equipages, and the Russian horses are superior. It is less gay now than usual, in consequence of the cholera having made such ravages. The city is intersected by several large canals, in which the water is nearly stagnant, and emits in hot weather unhealthy effluvia. The people often drink the foul water of the canals in preference to incurring the expense of getting it from the river.
In the month of June, the people have a religious fast of three weeks’ duration, when they subsist on vegetables and fruits, abstaining from flesh and other nourishing food; which, with an unusual season for changes from heat to cold, augmented the cholera, which reached one thousand cases per day, five hundred of which were deaths. It has almost entirely subsided, or at least is not alarming; and out of the fifty thousand who fled the city at its approach, great numbers are returning from the interior.
We have just returned from a visit to the imperial summer residence at Peterhoff, on the banks of the Neva, between this city and Cronstadt. It is called the Versailles of Russia, and is truly magnificent for its gardens, fountains, statuary, grottoes, and palaces; but will not bear comparison with the beauties of the much renowned Versailles, in France.
When in Pisa, last winter, I made the acquaintance of a Russian family, who invited me strongly to visit them; and on my arrival I found they had preceded me only a few days, and received me with the greatest kindness. The gentleman being the colonel of the empress’s body-guard, and the annual fête of the regiment about taking place, I had an opportunity of assisting at the review of the regiment, which was one thousand strong, and one of the best dressed and best disciplined in the world; the platoons are of uniform height, and move as one man, and in line appear like living statues. The ceremonies of high mass were performed in the open air in front of one of the summer palaces, a few miles from the city, with all the pomp and form of the rites of the Greek church; the immense Asiatic gilded silk tent spread to protect from the sun’s rays of a beautiful day; the gorgeous services and robes of the priests, with long floating beards, and hair covering the shoulders; the burning of immense wax candles, and the fumes of incense; the whole imperial family en grande toilette; the review of the regiment, after mass, by the Emperor Nicholas and his sons, the grand dukes, on horseback—altogether it was one of the most imposing sights you could behold. After the review by the emperor, the empress and the beautiful new bride of the Grand Duke Constantine reviewed the troops from their magnificent carriage, drawn by four horses, with outriders in jockey style, passing over the beautiful lawn amid the spontaneous “vivas” of the whole regiment, who adore the empress, and are under her particular patronage. The officers of the regiment dined with the royal family in the palace, after which the soldiers partook of a sumptuous dinner, under a long line of tents near the barracks, which were visited by the empress and the new bride, who were saluted by a thousand voices.
The colonel of the regiment and his son conducted me through the tents of the soldiers, and when the word for action was given, it was amusing to see the dismemberment of the carcasses of entire roasted sheep, with gilded horns, whose heads were severed with as much facility as a Cossack would have shown in taking off the head of an enemy. By this same military influence I have had access to the winter palace and private apartments of the empress, which are rich beyond description, and the treasures of the palace in sceptres, crowns, imperial robes, with the decorations in diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, &c., to the value of many millions, all of which was at this time inaccessible to a stranger. I have seen almost all the monarchs of Europe, and I must say that the Emperor Nicholas is the finest looking personage among them all.
Being about six feet in height, with fine complexion and more of the German than Russian caste, well proportioned, with a commanding yet dignified and graceful air, when he appears in full uniform on horseback, one says directly, “There goes the Emperor.” He is represented as being one of the most bold and daring of men, with the most indefatigable perseverance and zeal, and his works prove it. With his arbitrary rule of sixty millions of subjects, the largest portion of them uneducated, his task is a difficult one, and extorts praises from his friends, and curses from his enemies.
In matters of politics my lips are sealed, as spies are found in every direction, even among the domestics in hotels and private houses. The passing of the custom-house is most difficult; officers often engage you in conversation hoping to draw out your political views, but I must say that travelling in an official capacity, entitled to courtesy in all countries, my passport excluded me from visitation of luggage, and gave despatch, and the officers were exceedingly polite.
Within a fortress on the left bank of the Neva is a cathedral, rich in relics, which contains the tombs of all the emperors since Peter the Great; and in a cabinet in the Museum may be found all the relics which belonged to that great genius of the age in which he lived. In the suburbs of the city is a small wooden or log house where he resided, and which is now inclosed within another building to protect it from the ravage of time; there is also a boat there, made by his own hands. These to me were pleasing reminiscences.
Russia is extremely rich in mines of gold, copper, and precious stones. Her annual resources from Siberia, where the convicts are sent, are enormous, enough so to support her immense army, which is estimated at over one million men. In the galleries and vaults of the miners’ corps, is the finest collection of minerals, metals, precious stones, and marbles, I have yet seen in Europe. Here are found also all the models of industry, from the most simple machine to the entire apparatus for the working of the Siberian mines. The vaults under the building, which are most ingeniously constructed, and into which one descends by torches, are a fac simile of the arches and avenues in the gold, silver, and copper mines of Siberia, with the walls stained in different colors, and particles of ore representing all the different strata, so naturally indeed that one cannot but believe that he is really traversing the mines.
The Arsenal for the manufacture of cannon, and the immense collection of arms and trophies from the early ages, are well worth a visit, though they did not strike me as being remarkable.
St. Petersburg being a European city, one gets but an imperfect idea of the character of Russia, without going into the interior. Moscow is represented as being one of the most attractive cities of Europe, and of quite another style, being oriental in its character.
I shall visit that renowned city, and from thence cross the interior of Russia into Poland, striking the river Vistula at Warsaw. Through the influence of friends I have succeeded in getting a Russian and German passport from Count Nesselrode, purporting to be bearer of despatches, which gives me command of horses at all the stations in preference to others. Agreeably to an imperial order the peasants are obliged to have at all times a certain number of horses reserved for couriers or bearers of despatches. You will hear from me again at Moscow.