The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-13 00:00:00


to th© primitive inhabitants of Russia—Cos-
sacks, Calmues, Tatars, Bashkires, and the
like. The strongest case of Muscovite misma-
uagement really attested on competent evi-
donne is that of the Calmuc, or Eleute, tribes.
They had served peter the Great as faithful
allies, and sent 30,000 soldiers to aid Elizabeth
in her war on the Crimea. These things were
done while they yet possessed a certain degree
of self-government under their own Khans.
On the death of the chief of these, in 1724, the
Czar took occasion to draw the reins tighter,
putting a viceroy of his own in supreme com-
mand. The result was a general feeling of
discontent, which continued unabated during
half a century, and in 1771 caused a national
migration to China. Except the Mormon
movement in our own time, modern history
has scarcely an example of an organised exo-
dus on such a scale
On the 15th of January, 1771, 70,000 families withdrew,
under the conduct of the khan Übakha, taking away with
them by force the Russian Captain Dudin and a hundred
soldiers. They were attacked by Cossacks and Kirghis
on their march, lost a great many men, fought their way
through, the Russian General Tautenberg not pursuing
Item from Orenburg. They were plundered by Turkoman
and Tahtar tribes ; they lost 20,000 families on a journey
that continued fur eight months ; arrived notwithstanding,
though half starved, on the Chinese borders at Ily, in the
year 1772, and were received by the Emperor of the
Celestial Empire with pride and pomp. In order to pre-
serve the remembrance of that event, which reunited the
Mongol race under his sceptre, the Chinese Emperor erected
a monument, with an inscription in the four languages of
his dominions. Only 15,000 families remained in Russia,
which were detained by the extraordinary circumstance of
the Volga not being frozen over.
The Russian Government endeavoured to represent the
case in a light less unfavourable for themselves. They
laid the blame on Chinese intrigues, on the embassy of
Tulichen, who, in the year 1724, was sent from Pekin to
Aiouki ; but a mere invitation to go back to China would
not have availed, nor would it have taken fifty years for its
accomplishment. Kicheuski, the Pristaf, had abused his
power. From that time too the power of the pristaf was
limited, yet the Kalmucks did not regain their own admi-
nistration,and the committee, who reside at Astrachan, and
preside over the affairs of the whole country, consists of a
Russian president, two Russian judges, and two Kalmuck
deputies.
The book closes with a dissertation on Rus-
sian parties, including sketches of Menschi-
koff, Orloff, and Nesselrode. Here is a portrait
of the first, but we do not vouch for the re-
semblance :

lhe present Minister of Marine, Prince Alenshikoff, is
Nicholas's Falstaff, and is known for his play upon words.
" What do you think of my ministry ?" asked the Czar of
him once. " How is it to succeed ?" answered Menshikoff,
" with one long arm (the name of Dolgorouky, Minister of
War, signifies long arm) and one with only one arm
(Bibikotf, Minister of the Interior, has lost an arm) ?
Adlerberg (Court Minister) is not amiss, but his mien
(Mina is the name of his mistress) does not please me."
A. French girl in an equestrian troop obtained the admi-
ration of all Petersburg by her skill in horsemanship.
Called to the palace of the Grand Duke Michael, she suc-
ceeded in breaking in a vicious horse, that nobody could
ride before. " Absurd!" cried Menshikoff, " I will also do
the same," and, forgetting his age, he also mounted, but
was thrown, and broke his legs, so that he was for a long
time obliged to keep his bed.
When the Duchess of Leuchtenberg, whose conduct is
subject to suspicion, gave birth to a sun who was called
George, Menshikoff said, " Leuchtenberg has got the
George (a Russian order for bravery) without having been
in action."
He obtained a name in war by taking Anape ; at Varna
an exhausted ball rolled over both his feet when he was
taking a pinch of snuff.
He has talent and ambition, ambition perhaps more than
talent. You may see him sometimes in Petersburg on
horseback in naval uniform, with white hair, sallow face,
and a soldier's moustaches.
And the veteran diplomatist against whose
advice the present war has been undertaken is
thus described :
Charles Albert, Count Nesrelrode, was born in 1770, on
board an English vessel in sight of Lisbon. Hia parents
were Germans in the Russian service, and, as there was no
Protestant minister in the vessel, he was baptised accord-
ing to the Anglican rite. England, therefore, may claim
the honour of reckoning him among her citizens.
Pope Gregory XVI., anticipating a visit of the count to
Rome, said, " I must be watchful of M. de Nesselrode ; he
combines four or five different nationalities." The rela.
Lions counts and
reason why he
3 was intended
o him one day
count entered
therefore, was
happened to
Staselburg,
Hague, and
write French
He has never
write his name

tions of the Russian minister are Westphalian
counts of the Holy Empire, and that is the met
han constantly refused Russian titles. He wi
se nav . The Emperor Paul I. said to h
•! diplomatist, and the coi
ors diplomacy. Paul, the
~ ,
.een said to be ; he h
;t.': • 1 served under Count
.; . • Embassy at the I-
l'eßN l 1 .re he learned to wr
.410414g.1" 3111 C., out elegance. He
••• • ei •is • only able to writ
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