Part 8 (2/2)
The Palace of Petrofsky is itself a curious sight It is a huge pile, of a bright red colour, interled hite, and covered with every conceivable device in the way of orna out in front fro, in shape and colour very like lobsters' claws, and there are the brightest green roofs, and numberless domes, and cupolas, and old, which make one suppose that a very rich man must live within On a wide, open space in front of the palace, wonderfully grand preparations were iven to the people on the occasion of the coronation
At a short distance before the palace stood a nificent pavilion, intended to hold the Imperial family A little of the ork yet unpainted showed that it was not a solid structure of stone No people can equal the Russians inthe false pass for the real On either side of the pavilion were others, each of a different style of architecture, for the use of the chief nobility of the realm Before them, at some little distance, were two theatres, in co booth of Richardson would have grown diht be called theatres, but they were only the semi-part of the theatre; the open common, with the blue sky overhead, was the space intended for the audience Then there were several Montagnes Russe, but, instead of being made of ice and snow, they were built of wood They consist of high elevations, facing each other, with a slope between them; people ascend to the top by steps, where they find cars of wood They place the down one slope with such force that they are propelled up the opposite slope
But this was only a small part of the entertainment prepared for the people There were fountains which, instead of throwing up jets of cold, insipid water, were to spout forth incessantly into huge tanks a streaht draw forth and drink to their hearts' content
What more perfect idea of a terrestrial paradise would a thirsty mujick seek for than did these preparations afford him? How munificent and kind must he have considered the Emperor who could provide such an entertainment for him, especially when near to the fountains of vodka there were spread out long tables and benches, covering soround, which it was said were to be loaded with provisions, of which all-coht partake!
The travellers had to drive in and out a the tables, and they pictured to themselves the jovial, happy croould soon be asse life and prosperity to their Czar--a perfect picture of an Arcadian banquet
Farther on were large booths, containing the kitchens where the provisions for the vast multitudes were to be cooked; and there were also other sheds, where the bread, and rain of all sorts were to be stored All this feasting and amusement was to last three days, and no one seemed to be able to estimate how many thousands of persons would attend the rural banquet
”Alas!” exclai the norantthe love of a people, of i the to their lowest tastes I suspect that it will not even secure the object desired
What a contrast does it afford to the way our own enlightened sovereign takes to win the affections of her people!”
”We had the fireworks at the peace,” observed Fred; ”they were only to please the mob”
”Yes, to be sure,” said Cousin Giles; ”that was an old-fashi+oned way of letting the people know that peace was concluded They could in days of yore, when newspapers were rare, have scarcely known it without; now such a proceeding is quite unnecessary A large sum was squandered which would have beenour artisans in the dockyards, thrown out of erate; besides which, it was said that nuet them finished in time If such was the case, a national sin was added to a national folly”
Cousin Giles' conjectures with regard to the uselessness of the feast prepared for the mujicks were realised No sooner each day were the tables covered, than the mob rushed forward and bore off whatever they could lay hands on, so that the later co to eat; while fountains of vodka refused to supply sufficient liquid to quench the thirst of the vast ed round the, than love or gratitude exhibited towards the supposed provider of the entertainment--the Czar
About half a mile farther, in front of this scene of barbaric festivity, across the plain, over fields which had been beaten down to supply an open space of sufficient extent, was seen a sea of white tents, for an encampment which at that time contained fifty thousand men, to whom many more were afterwards added
Before theuns turned towards the spot where the nificant, as a cynical friend of Cousin Giles observed, of the way in which people in the parts there are governed Hein his conjecture
The travellers drove towards the tents, in front of which they found the bands of all the regireat deal of noise, but the ot out of their carriage, and walked into the encampment without let or hindrance They felt a curious sensation as they found the the troops of those hoed in deadly strife Not only were they secure fro any insult, but they were treated everywhere with the greatest courtesy
One thing is certain, that although a large amount of barbarism remains in Russia, the arh state of civilisation The younger officers are invariably well educated, and generally polished in their manners The iht into a good state of discipline
The tents were arranged in long lines, with broad, well-gravelled roads at intervals between them, with a drained footpath on either side The encampment, it must be confessed, looked very far neater and cleaner than that at Aldershot Why should we refuse to give our late enes? It is far better that the rising generation should know that Englishmen are not perfect, and endeavour to correct the national faults, than to go on blindly fancying that we are superior in all things to all other nations on earth
Our friends, with their guide, first walked into a sergeant's tent He and his coiment had not been in the Crilish were Even those who had been opposed to them felt no enmity towards them; very much the contrary--they had learnt to respect them
The Russian officers who had been in the Crilish officers who had been there also, were more than usually kind and attentive to them The men's abodes, into which the travellers went, contained sixteen persons, and very close packing they must have found it in hot weather In cold weather they are thus kept warmer, and, if called to stand to their are body of enerally fine-looking, intelligent fellows; lishiments, raised in northern latitudes, were coenerally good-looking and gentlemanly These, however, were crack troops, and were certainly very different fro recruits to be seen when no public exhibition is intended
Highly pleased with this visit to the camp, they drove back to the city
On their way they stopped at souide told the Harry declared that the place was called Waxhauloff Certainly the naarden, brilliantly lighted up with coloured lamps, and at one end there were scenic preparations, probably for a desperate sea-fight on a pond, for there was a lighthouse in the foreground and sonified that this was to be followed by a superb display of fireworks
There was also a largeto a very good instrumental band The object of the travellers, however, was to ipsies, who the the crowd There was the sa, quick expression of countenance which distinguish them in every part of the world The women were somewhat fancifully, but not fantastically dressed This costume varied little from that common in Europe It is only on festive occasions that they wear the dress of their people The ht-coloured trousers
They were remarkable for their small well-formed heads and sharp Jewish countenances Cousin Giles said he should call them Arab Jews One of the women, as fairer than the rest, and somewhat picturesquely dressed in a red h when her features were seen near they bore the gipsy characteristics
After so the chief of the gipsies, and in drawing hi
The interpreter told the gipsy chief that Cousin Giles was an Englishipsies of all countries, and that he would like to hear about his tribe The gipsy replied that he was much flattered; that he was the chief only of forty or fifty people, but that they were all well off; that they lived in coion of the country; that he had been offered a suo to Paris to sing in public, but that they ell off in Russia, and did not wish to move Some of his people at times became very wealthy, and soe, while others ipsies in Russia ere altogether of an inferior grade They still lived in tents, and wandered about the country, and were chiefly horse and cattle-dealers
A few followed still less creditable occupations His tribe, however, held no communication whatever with them
It occurred to Cousin Giles that the life of the wandering gipsy was perhaps more creditable than that of his brethren in the city The conversation was brought to a close by the gipsy and his band being summoned to the platforht men The women were seated in a seuitars in their hands, stood in front of theuitars One of the girls sang a solo very well, the rest of the band joining in an extravagantly wild, fantastic chorus; the leader,about in the s in the same style, some more wild and extraordinary than the first, certainly not suited to a refined taste Yet this place was evidently a fashi+onable resort; the entrance-h,--a silver rouble and a quarter,--and the company were all well-dressed, well-behaved people, evidently ladies and gentlehbourhood, a fashi+onable suburb of Moscow