Part 23 (1/2)

I was also greatly pleased with thetheir s during su acan be reen leaves

Nearly everyof the ground flat of the houses in St Petersburg is thus screened The neat manner in which the ivy plants are trained over ornah the ivy is very co of beauty, may be a ”joy for ever” In the finer and ht of wide steps that lead up to the reception rooreat vigour, with their fine flowers as fresh as if in a carefully-kept conservatory Other plants of an ornamental kind were mixed with the oleander, but the latter appeared to be the favourite

[footnote

While passing through Lubeck onI was much struck with the taste for flower-plants displayed by the people of that old-world city The inner side of the lower house ere all beautifully decorated with flowers, which were evidently well cared for Some of the ere al-continued winter of these parts has caused the people to study and practise within-door culture with such ant pursuit, and should be cultivated everywhere

It is thoroughly in character with the exquisite cleanliness and tidiness of the houses at Lubeck

About the end of my visit I was about to call upon one of h I pursued pleasure at occasional tiht of business It was a very dull day, and the streets about the Winter Palace were al in h --somewhat in the style of a commander-in-chief as represented in the old pictures--when I noticed a drosky coates of the Winter Palace I observed that it contained a noble-looking officer in a bluebehind his drosky driver My driver instantly took off his hat, and I, quickly following his exa my extended hand on the level of my head--a real royal salute The person was no other than the Emperor Nicholas! He fixed his pecuniarily fine eyes upon randest ht, with a kindly snificent eyes as he passed close by ineer about half an hour before, and had a glass or two of chaive the Emperor, in his own capital, what I was afterwards told was not a bow but a brotherly recognition between potentates, and only by royal usage allowed to be so given,--nath level with the head, so as to infer royal equality, or so of that sort When I narrated to some Russian friends what I had done, they told me that I need not be surprised if I received a visit fro to salute the Emperor in such a style But the Emperor was doubtless more amused than offended, and I never received the expected visit

To anticipate a little Soon afterwards the Eh his aland-- Baron Brunnow It was also accoracious thanks for the manner in which my steam hammer had driven the piles for his new forts at Cronstadt, which he had seen in full action The stea the piles of the great bridge at Kieff

I next received an order for one of est steam hammers for the Imperial arsenal, and it was followed bythe readiness of the Russian and other foreign Governments to adopt at an early date any mechanical improvement of ascertained utility, that I supplied steam hammers to the Russian Government twelve etic action The French were the first to adopt the invention; thanks to the insight of M Bourdon, who had the opportunity of recognising its importance

Before I leave this part of my subject, I must not omit to mention my friend Mr Francis Baird, the zealous son of Sir Charles Baird

The latter was aine works at St Petersburg At the time of my visit he was far advanced in years, and unable to attend personally to the very large business which he had established But he was nevertheless full of geniality

He greatly enjoyed the long conversations which he had with me about his friends in Scotland, many of whom I knew He also told me about the persons in his employment He said that the workmen were all serfs, or the sons of serfs The Eiven theine foundry, and in his sugar refinery, which was another part of the business I had rarely seen a more faithful and zealous set of workmen than these Russian serfs They were able and skilful, and attached to their eer tie than that of es

Indeed, they were treated by Sir Charles Baird and his son with the kindest and most paternal care, and they duly repaid their attachment by their zeal in his service and the excellent quality of their work

The most important business in hand at the ti of the rand portico of the Izak Church This building is one of the finest in St Petersburg It is of grand proportions,--simple, noble, and massive It is built upon a forest of piles The walls of the interior are covered with marble The h, and exceed everything that has yet been done in that beautiful ilt copper This, as well as the Corinthian capitals of bronze, was manufactured at the foundry of the Bairds The tyroups of alto-relievo figures, round It was a kind of foundry work of the highest order, all the details and processes requiring the greatest care

To antic and refined metal as a serf The full-sized plasterwere executed by a resident French sculptor He was a true artist, and of the highest order But to see the skilful manner in which these native workmen, drawn from the staff of the Bairds'

ordinary foundry workers, perfor

It would make our best bronze statuary founders wince to be asked to execute such work Judging from what I saw of the Russian workrand future before it

Having satisfactorily co, I prepared to set out homewards But as I had soen I resolved to visit those cities I left St Petersburg for Stockholfors and Abo, both in Finland The weather was beautiful Clear blue shy and bright sunshi+ne by day, and the light prolonged far into the night Even in Septeht so short that the air has scarcely ti rays

Even at twelve at night the sun dips but a little beneath the bright horizon on the north The night is so bright in the Abo latitude that one can read the s can be h in our tortuous voyage to Stockholranite islands which crowd the shores of the Baltic They are covered with pines, which descend to the water's edge We swept thereen fronds into the perfectly clear sea For about two days our course lay through those beautiful sh fairyland

And it continued in this exquisite tranquil way until we reached that crowning feature of all--the , as it were, on the waters of the Malar Lake, and surrounded by noble h, Genoa, and Naples, I had never beheld so noble a city with such s

I spent but a short time in Stockholrandly beautiful in its neighbourhood

Lakes, rocks, and noble trees abounded, and exquisite residences peeped out through the woods, giving evidences of high civilisation Elegance of taste and perfect doements supplied every form of rational comfort and enjoyment My old friend Sir John Ross, of Arctic celebrity, was settled at Stockholm as chief consul for Her Majesty

He introduced lish merchants, from whom I received much kind attention Mr Erskine invited hbourhood It was situated on the side of a mountain, and overlooked a lake that rerew about, in almost inaccessible places, on the tops of precipices, and in shelves and clefts a the rocks The most important result of my visit was an introduction to Baron Tareat Dannemora Iron Mine

I was at once diverted for a tien

I wasin person this celebrated ly furnished ers, and I proceeded to Dannemora by way of Upsala I wasthe tomb of Gustavas Vasa, and by its many historical associations But I was still more impressed by Old Upsala, about three reat antiquity It is only a little hah at one tie population The old granite church was probably at one tian temple Outside, and apart from it, is a wooden bell-tower, erected in comparatively modem times In a wooden box inside the church is a wooden painted God, a ure to worshi+p

And yet the Swedes in remote parts of the country carefully preserve their antique wooden Gods

The great sacrifices to Odin were made at Old Upsala

Outside the church, in a row, are three great mounds of earth, erected in commemoration of Odin, Thor, and Freia--hence our Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday These h and 232 feet in diareat and valiant I went into a cottage near the tumuli, and drank a bumper of mead to the memory of Thor from a very antique wooden vessel

I made an especial reverential obeisance to Thor, because I had a great respect for hireat Hammerman, and one of our craft,-- the Scandinavian Vulcan

I drove back to Upsala, and reht