The Press.
London, England, 1856-10-04 00:00:00

CORONATION FETES.

TEE balls of the British Embassy at Moscow, it is
reported, have eclipsed those of M. de Morny. M.
de Morny danced incessantly himself, but be had
not a Mme. de Morny to receive nor a Scotch piper
to play up :

The ball given by M. de Nforny on Monday night, although
lacking nothing in the number and dignity and rank of the
company, was, it is said, inferior in splendour to the en-
tertainments of a similar kind given by the English Am-
bassador and the Countess Granville. The rooms of the
Gruiani Palace are better furnished, more rich, and at
the same time more comfortable than those of the French
Embassy, and, what is a good deal more to the purpose on
such occasions, the wine and the suppers are better.
Indeed, Lord Granville has done his best to make the
Russians familiar with the contents of an excellent Eng-
lish cellar, and he possesses another advantage in having
Lady Granville to preside at his entertainment. The
supply of dancing ladies is described as being very inade-
quate to the demand last night, but the French Ambassa-
dor is the gayest and the best boat possible, and did his
utmost to atone for the absence of a Mme. de :Horny by
dancing incessantly. It would be well if some of our
younger men made themselves equally useful in filling up
figures and surrendering themselves to the abandon of
waltz and mazurka. It must be by no means inferred
from this that the French Ambassador's ball was not very
splendid. It is only fair to state that the Embassy of
England has the advantage in Moscow, just as in St.
Petersburg M. de Morny was able to give better and more
frequent dinners than Lord Granville.—Times cor.
McAllister, the Sutherland piper, at Lady Gran-
ville's ball on the 17th ult., broke through all rules
of etiquette, and astonished the company with a
burst of martial music. The Grand Dukes Con-
stantine and Nicholas, with their families and suite,
were present
McAllister was in attendance in the ante-room in full
uniform, kilt, and philibeg, it being the intention of the
noble host that in some interval of the dance the Russian
guests should he made acquainted with the peculiar cha-
racteristics of Highland music. But the herdic soul of
McAllister was impatient of restraint. For some moments
he remained standing in the ante-room, beating time to an
imaginary reel, and champing like a war horse impatient
of the bit, until at last, what with the strains of rival music
from the band, the intoxicating influence of a thousand
wax lights reflected from the porcelain walls, and the
bright forms of beauty that flitted to and fro before the
gaze of the bewildered Highlander, flesh and blood could
bold out no longer; the inspired Gaul shouldered his
pipes, and, striking up a pibroch that would awaken the
dead, marched, with measured tread, as if at the head of
his clan, into the centre of the brilliant ring round which
Grand Dukes and Duchesses were at that moment dancing
the polonaise. Loud above the puny attempts of catgut
and brass rose the wild martial notes of the bagpipes.
The musicians threw down their instruments in despair,
the company ceased dancing, and McAllister was in a
moment the centre of an admiring circle, completely ab-
sorbed in his pibroch, and beating time with as much
accuracy and sangfroid as if unconscious of the presence
of the foremost of the world's elite. I watched the effect
of this strange music ou the unaccustomed ears of the
Russians with great interest. They were at first evidently
astounded, the officers putting their hands to their ears,
and the ladies crossing their hands and gazing on the
kilted Loins in mute surprise. But soon it became evi-
dent that there was a sympathy between the warlike race
on the one side and the warlike music on the other. Both
ladies and gentlemen chatted, smiled, and listened ; and,
when, shortly after, the Grand Duchess Constantine, one
of the most beautiful women in Russia, retired to another
apartment, she sent for McAllister, who played " The
White Cockade " in a manner that elicited her Imperial
Highness's gracious commendation. From that moment
he became the fashion, and several times in the coarse of
the evening he played again to admiring audiences. I
may mention before parting with our musical friend, that
since his arrival he has been quite a lion amongst the
Russians, who follow him in crowds through the streets.
There is much speculation amongst the mujiks as to his
real character and functions ; but the most prevailing
impression is that he is the chief of all the foreign am-
bassadors, and that, with a fastidious refinement of hauteur,
he prefers walking, on the ground that none of the car-
riages are grand enough for his notions of personal dignity.
D. News cor., Sept. 19th.

955

Neither the Emperor nor the Grand Duke Con-
stantine keep much state on ordinary occasions :

The Czar, although be likes keeping up the dignity and
state of the Imperial office, is not ostentatious or extrava-
gant in his tastes, and rather affects the simplicity and
freedom of the late Emperor. He has been seen driving
about the streets in a one•horse drosky without an escort
or single attendant of any kind, and the other day the
Russian hall-porter at Lord Granville's was terribly alarmed
at the apparition of a quiet gentlemanly•looking officer in
the hall, who stepped out of a drosky at the door, and
simply asked, "Is the Ambassador at home?" It was the
Emperor, who had driven up to pay a friendly visit en pas-
sant.—Times cor., Sept. 19.
The Grand Duke Constantine is rather below the middle
height, being about five feet six inches in height ; his
figure is slight, but compact and well built, his face is oval,
his hair light, moustache and whiskers small and fair, his
eye, notwithstanding the shortness of his sight, is keen
and very intelligent, and his mouth, jaw, and forehead,
indicate great firmness and decision of character. He
speaks English perfectly well, and to the knowledge of
that language he joins of course the usual acquirements
of Russians of rank, French, German, &c. His air is not
so sombre as that of the Emperor : he speaks with quick-
ness and energy, and is rapid in his movements, and
altogether has a gayer and brisker look than his Imperial
brother. Night and day he worked at Cronstadt while our
fleet was before it, and he is now with the utmost deter-
mination and perseverance creating for Russia a very for-
midable force of steam gunboats, of which there are no
less than seventyfive in the Baltic, all built within the
last twenty months; some of them are worked by the
locomotive engines of the railway, fitted for that purpose;
others are provided with engines made at the Government
factories, but these have given the Grand Duke some
trouble, as they are liable to aberrations andsto execute
mechanical manmuvres not designed by their manufac-
turers.—Times cor.

The Times correspondent has a sneer at Sir Charles
Napier and Cronstadt :
Sir Charles Napier, in the account of his extraordinary
experiences of Cronstadt, forgot one important fact—he
talked much of the difficulties and insinuated the impos-
sibilities of an attack on that place, and mentioned espe-
cially the impediments created by the genius of Todtleben
in the passage at the north of the forts, but Sir Charles did
not tell his countrymen what the Grand Duke is at no
pains to conceal—that the passage was quite practicable
when the allied fleet first came off Cronstadt, and that the
impediments to the passage of large ships were not formed
till the winter of the second year of the war. The Rus-
sians were perfectly aware that the northern side could be
forced, and that it was quite possible for a determined
enemy to run past the forts, most of which are constructed
on arcs of spheres, have their maximum amount of fire
directed in front, and have only part of their guns available
for an enemy passing their right flank. They had ever
such a casualty in view, and the most desperate resolves
were spoken of in case the fleets forced the Neva and St.
Petersburg was at their mercy. The opportunity was lost,
and the Grand Duke and Todtleben took care it never
should occur again. The moment the allies retired before
the grip of winter thousands of men were set to work, who
sunk stones all along the northern channel, or heaped
piles of hundreds of tons of blocks of granite on the roe,
which went through to the bottom as it melted and formed
a line of artificial rocks across the passage. On some of
these rocks batteries were erected, guns were placed to
cover the approach, and the place was indeed rendered un-
assailable by large vessels. Why did not Sir Charles
Napier tell us when this was done ? Surely nothing of the
kind took place till after his abortive demonstration in the
summer of 1854.—Times cor.

We may here add that to this charge Sir Charles
Napier has replied, but the Times refused to publish
his letter. It appeared in the Daily News of yes-
terday. Sir Charles in a few words demolishes the
Times correspondent, by recalling two little facts be
had overlooked—viz., the shoal depth of water on

the north side, and the heavy line•ot-battle ships he
(Sir Charles) had only under his command in 1854.
The passage was only available for gun or mortar
boats of light draught.
An absurd accident happened on the 16th to the
Empress Mother in the midst of a religious cere-
mony :

You will laugh to hear that the Empress Dowager of
Russia has received a black eye from a Greek priest, in her
capital of Moscow, in a chapel, in the midst of a religious
ceremony. It was at the Foundling Hospital, where, in
the chapel, she was stooping to kiss an image. The
priest, a man with a long white beard, in the extreme of
age, sprang forward in his seat, and threw open the glass
door of the shrine to enable her Majesty to kiss the image
without the intervening impediment. The heavily em-
bossed binding of the glass caught the Empress, fortunately
not on, but just below, the temple, and raised a blue and
black wale, which quickly swelled. Her Majesty uttered
a cry of pain ; the old priest burst into tears at what he
had done, and at what he was near having done. The other
priests flew to tell the Patriarch of the delinquent, whom
you may be quite sure the Empress will not suffer to be in
the least annoyed for an unintentional mishap. I had
the whole story from an eye-witness.—Pest ror., Sept. it.

The people's dinner and the people's ball were the
two great events of the week before last. Every ar-
rangement on the dinner day was excellent but that
of the weather ; it rained incessantly the whole day.
From early morn the people streamed out of the town
to the great plain of Kadnika, where dinner was laAl
for 200,000 guests :

956

The " black people " covered the trottoir like a plague
of locusts, ten times as numerous as the many pilgrims to
Greenwich fair, but looking as serious as judges, and evi-
dently making abstruse mental calculations as to how
much of the anticipated provender would fall to their
several shares. There was the rough mujik of the plains
in his sheepskin coat, shapeless indescribable list, and
bearded like a patriarch. Little cares he about social or
p ditical problems. He works when he can't help it, keeps
himself as warm as he can, washes as seldom as he can,
and when inclined for jollity, sings a song, the burthen of
which is, " Oh, don't ask me to read or write." Sturdily
he trudged along with thoughts intent on guess and vodka,
and heeded nothing the teeming rain that was searching
ont every crevice in his woolly covering. Close behind
him followed the fair partner of his joys and sorrows,
looking for all the world like a bundle of faded calico,
mounted on elephantine legs, and furnished with a caps-
Mous basket to contain the anticipated spoils of the
" Festin." Then there was the mujik of the town, tall
and slim, in well-worn caftan, and trudging along with that
shuffling gait which long practice on the most abominable
pavement in the world has made second nature. There
is a restless activity in his eye, a studied servility in his
manner, that bespeaks the man who runs errands, sleeps
in doorways in summer, and in stoves,like a Salamander, in
winter, cringes like a spaniel when you look at him, and
asks for " Tschi " the moment your features relax into
the faintest approximation to a smile. Lastly, we had the
mujik well to do, clad in Lincoln green, and with hat of
unexceptionable beaver, who keeps his own drosky, and
drives a prosperous trade in the Vertskoi. He is worth
his 200,000 roubles, perhaps, affects diamonds, and has his
daughter learning the piano and the four languages. But
the sword of Damocles hangs over his head by a single
hair, as the rough country boyar& to whom lie owes fealty,
m.iy at any time cancel his " pass," and recal him to the
roughest labour of rural life—or perhaps send him off for
a soldier. Men of this class are pointed out to me every
day, who have over and over again offered thousands of
roubles for their freedom, but their masters are inexorable,
as one of the greatest luxuries of a Russian nobleman is to
be able to point to a man and say, " You see that fellow,
he is my serf, and is worth a million silver roubles." On
they went in a neverending stream, the poor trudging
steadily through fluid mud, the well-to-do, dashing,
splashing on their nest droskies behind horses that
would raise a shout of admiration in Hyde-park. —Daily
News cos.

A railed-off covered gallery was reserved for the
boyards and ambassadors, with special seats for
the Imperial family :

Several miles of tables surrounded the inclosure on
every side, and on them were placed sheep roasted whole,
standing bolt upright, and with their horns gilded ready
for the sacrifice. With them were alternated great mottn-
tains of bread, and here and there dwarf pine trees, from
which hung in tempting festoons the savoury sausages so
dear to Sarmatian palates. Pails of beer decorated every
corner in which there was room for them to stand, anti
round this tempting feast the tantalised mujiks clustered,
impatient for the signal to begin. At the angles of each
square, formed by the arrangement of the tables, stood the
fountains from which wine and vodka were to flow—liquids
which the rain from above was rapidly diluting to a most
harmless amount of stimulus.—lb.

The great dinner was fixed for one p.m., when the
Emperor would present himself and give the signal
for the feast, but long before he arrived, about nine
e.m., the Grand Duke Constantine, who is a great
favorite, made his appearance :

The people, who up to that moment had been kept at
arm's length, clustered round his Imperial Highness, and
coaxed him out of permission " just to look at the tables."
They got in, and the consequence may be easily imagined.
In the twinkling of an eye roast sheep, junks of beef,
mountains of bread, sausage trees, and pails of beer, had
all disappeared, and the mnjiks were standing on the
tables, with their mouths and pockets filled to bursting,
and the empty beer pails on their heads for umbrellas.
From the table-cloths the ladies had improvised flowing
mantillas, and the audience was in comfortable condition
to cheer the Emperor and enjoy the amusements
provided.—/b.

The rnujiks broke up the tables, and, putting the
boards on their heads as umbrellas, waited patiently
for their Czar.

The Emperor soon after appeared, and was much
annoyed at the catastrophe which had occurred, but
as there was no help for it, he cantered rapidly round
the inclosure, gave the signal for the amusements
to commence, and damp acrobats and others went
through various feats of equitation and agility. At
length the sports terminated, and then

Came the smashing of carriages, the kicking over of
traces, the loud neighing of the wild horses, and the frantic
calls for " Ivan," and " and " Constantin," and
" Alexis." Fancy the Haymarket at the close of a Jenny
Lind night, and the liakboys suddenly endued with the
Slavonic dialect, and the rain coming down in torrents,
and the ladies waiting muffled up in the vestibule, and
the gentlemen craning out to see if the carriages are
coming, and throw in a handful of bootishnicks, and
cossacks, and gendarmes, and you will be able to join with
me in imagination in realising the picture afforded by
the grand wind-up of the people's dinner party in the

The ball at the Kremlin was a better managed
affair. There was no rain to mar the enjoyment, for
the ceilings of the magnificent saloons of the Krem-
lin sheltered the mnjiks and their wives, of whom
'25,000 were invited and attended. Such people's
ball is not often seen in Europe:—

ik.