Through Russia Volume 1-2; From St. Petersburg to Astrakhan and the Crimea (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. Visit to the Arsenal?Pleasure-Grounds?Great Fires in Winter?Struggle for Water?Collection of Coin in the Hermitage?The Theatre?Collection of Paintings ?Bargaining for Rizas?A Russian Family?Neglect of Personal Cleanliness?The Summer Gardens? KrilofFs Monument?The Emperor Nicholas and the Fabulist?Sketch of Kriloff's Life?The Michael Palace?The Aprazin and Stehukin Dvor?Equestrian Statue of Peter the Great?Academy of Arts?The English Library?The Preobrojensky Church. AS we were about to get into our vehicle, Louis came up with a whispered request, " Might the French gentleman"?one by whom we had been joined in our examination of the rooms?" share our carriage ?" All Great Britain rose up in our breasts at this request, and we uttered a tremendous " No;" but seeing the poor man walk off in a desponding manner, and having ascertained that he had no other means of reaching the arsenal before it closed, we relented, and sent Louis flying after himwith a request that he would accept a place. The individual returned with radiant face, and hat clasped tight to his bosom; but we begged that he would restore it to the top of his head. He forthwith mounted, screwed himself into the smallest possible corner, and off we set. The arsenal, a rotunda of red brick, lies in the middle of the pleasure-grounds, which are very large. The Russians here always had a passion for Tartar and Chinese architecture, which was carried to a great height. Now and then a vista opened in the woods, and we had before us the exact scene depicted upon, willow-pattern plates?a winding lake with a bridge of bamboo; a cottage painted red, and covered with green dragons; the gardener's house. No part of the still life was wanting; and we agreed with the exclamation, " Tiens, c'est bien drole !" whic...