The Express.
London, England, 1856-09-30 00:00:00

THE CORONATION FETES

AT MOSCOW.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CO...tiv._
THE " FES= DU PEUPLE."
MOSCOW, Barr. 20.
If the modern Russians be the descendants of the
ancient Boythiens, there is one thing in which they
do not resemble their frugal ancestors, and that is
their splendid notion of hospitality. Whoever hes
had patience to follow the narrative of the corona-
tion of the Emperor must have remarked that
everything hem finished with a feast. The Emperor
feasts everybody, the noblesse feast the:Emperor,
the ambassadorial sojourn is one continuous dinner
party, the merchants brut the soldiers, and lastly the
government, in compliance with ancient Bola-
vonto custom, feasts the people. One cannot
be always dining, but to write for ever abase
dining is still worse, and, therefore, I have left several
items in the coronation bill of fare unnoticed; but •
select party of two hundred thousand people is a
thing not to be seen every day; and to those at •
distance who could not have been present in the
body, a few details of the great "Pectin du People"
may not prove uninteresting, the more so as it is one
of the rare occasions on which the " black people,"
as they are emphatically called here, are allowed in
approach their sovereign in convivial intercourse, is
eat of his salt, and to demonstrate their loyalty
under the influences which are proverbially said
to give loyalty its greatest impetus. It is
hardly necessary to say that the "Feetin du
People " is an important item in every
coronation programme since the time when Boris
Ondenoff found it necessary to appeal to parron et
circa's.r as a means of reconciling the people to his
usurpation. It has often been a scene of riot and
, moms, sometimes of disorder and confusion, and even
so lately as the coronation of the Emperor Nicholas,
circumstances arose which still leave unpleasant re-
miniscences in the minds of those who are old enough
to have "assisted" on that important measles.
It is just thirty years since a banquet
similar to that which was celebrated to-day, was
spread in the Kessnaja Ploschad, the tables laden
with the good things of this world, and the
square enclosed with galleries, from ; whisk
the great boysrds enjoyed the prospect of
their serfs enjoying an abundant banquet at
least once during the term of their natural lives.
The yowl Emperor, handsome as Apollo, and sur-
rounded with all the adjuncts of imperial splendour.
presided on a thro3e erected for the occasion, and a
signal from him was to have inaugurated a
protracted banquet, to be gone throtfgh with all due
formality, dignity, and decorum. Bat the quarter
million of inujiks who had waited round the barrier.
from an early hour in the morning, some of them the
whole of the night before, took a different view of
the cue, and, the moment the signal was given,
rushed upon the feast like so many cannibals, not to
eat, but to carry away; and, in the twinkling of ea
eye,everythiog eatable anddrinkable had disappeared
from the tables; and those who had not been strong or
active enough to get portions of the good cheer, tore
off the tablecloths, and broke up the tables, using the
fractured lege u weapoce to make the earlier plunderers
disgorge some share of their hard-won booty. It
is even said that the galleries for the spectators wen
torn down, and that Cashmere shawls and diamond
necklace' went the way of the legs of mutton and
roast chickens, to the great alarm and chsgria of the
aristocratic audience in the " Beautiful Place." To
prevent the recurrence of such disorders, great pains
and precautions had been taken on the present occa-
sion, while the elements lent their aid in cooling
emdik ardour and preserving the public, tranquillity.
It bee been said that the most threatening scams
may often be nipped in the bud by the welldireoted
bees of a fire-engine, but if all the fire-engines in
)rwe, and America to boot, had been brought into
requisition, they could not have given the crowd so
thorough a soaking as did the pitiless rain, which from
"morn to dewy eve" had been saturating sheepskins,
seeking through caftans, and drenching military
midterms all through, in the great plain of the
Kodiak', which, for the reasons above stated, had
been chosen as the site of the present coronation ban-
quet. Having neared a carriage, no easy task at
lamb a tims, when every man who has a kopeck to
agars must ride to dinner, I drove out to the plain at
am early hour, and all along the route found my pee-
my obstructed by the premonitory symptom' of the
peat festival. The "black people" covered the trol-
l* like • plague of locusts, ten times as numerous as
the many pilgrims to Greenwich fair, but look-
ing as serious as judges, and evidently making
abstruse mental calculations as to how much
et the anticipated provender would fall to
*sir several shams. At the first glance,
way mujik would appear to be cast in the same
mould, and clad in the same monotonous costume;
but as the shepherd is said, by dint of continuous
observation, to be able to distinguish the faces of all
bis sheep, so the curious voyageur, by frequently
gaming through the streets, and watching the people
as be passes, obtains a sort of classification, and is
Ate to detect grades and differences in what appeared
agent one dreary, dead level of homilies equality. They
were ell out to-day, gentle and simple. There was
the rough mejtk of the plains in his sheepskin cost,
shapeless, indescribable bat, and bearded like a
patriarch. Little cares he about social or political
problem,. He works when he can't help it, keeps
himself as warm as he can, washes as seldom as he
win, and when inclined for jollity, sings • song the
harthen of which is, " Oh, don't ask me to read or
write." Sturdily he trudged along with thoughts
intent on qualm and vodka, and heeded nothing the
teeming rain that was searching out every crevice in
his woolly covering. Close behind him followed the
lair partner of his joys and sorrows, looking for ell
the world like a bundle of faded calico, mounted on
elephantine legs, and furnished with • capacious
basket tocontain the anticipetedepoils of the "Feetin."
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 se-
coed nature. There is a restless mirky in hie eye
a studied servility in his manner, that bespeaks
the man who runs errand', sleeps in doorways in
simmer, and in stoves, like a Salamander in winter,
fringes like a spaniel when yon look at him, and
Saks for " Tschi" the moment your features rela
into the faintest approximation to a smile. Lastly,
we had the mujik well to do, clad is Lin.
min green, and with hat of unexceptionable
beaver, who keeps his own drotscbki and
drives a prosperous trade in the Vertskoi. He is
worth his 200,000 rubles perhaps, affects diamonds,
aad has his daughter learning the piano, and the
leer languages. Bat the sword of Damocles hangs
ever his head by a single hair, ea the rough country
boyard, to whom he owes fealty, may at any time
/Kneel his "pass," and fecal him to the roughest labour
of rural life—or perhaps send him cff for a soldier.
Hen of this class are pointed out to me every day,
who have over and over again offered thousands of
rubles for their freedom, but their masters are inex-
orable, 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 rubles." On they went in a never-
ending stream, the poor trudging steadily through
fluid mud, the well-to-do, dashing, splashing on
their neat drotechkies behind horses that would rates
a shout of admiration in Hyde Park. The
whole of the roadway was covered with equipages
for miles, every successive one of which offered
some new variety of vehicular monstrosity. There
WAS the Telegu of the road, like a little wooden dish

set on a cumbrous gnn•carrisge, and accommodating
two or three human bundles that turned their backs

to the rain, and took their soaking with the moat
stoical equanimity. There was the more pretentious
Tarantas, the substitute for our western post cart
dory shaped like a child's cradle, and capable of
accommodating a whole litter of eager sightseekers. I
looked upon these bone•breakers with a shudder, aa
I thought of some English friends who had just
started on a journey across the steppe in a
vehicle of this description. Then came the
aristocratic Berlin, or caleche, drawn by four
horses, sometimes abreast, sometimes in a
team with traces ten or twelve yards in lengtb.
Through the windows of these might be seen the pow-
dered head and gold embroidery of veteran diplomacy,
the bright eyes of fair ladies, and the rosy cheek* of
chubby children all agog for the Badinka
One would have thought that all the odd•looking
vehicles and all the fine horses in the world had
been collected for the accommodation of this leviathan
dinner party. It will be easily conceived that in
such a crowd our progress was anything but rapid.
Sometimes we got on a little, sometimes we " poled"

our leader, sometimes got poled ourselves from be-
hind, and then sock a mingled torrent of Russian
abuse and English vociferation ! Sometimes the
gendarme* ordered us to stop, sometimes per-
mitted us to go on, while ever and anon
the horrid little cossack', like so many
mounted Skye terriers, hovered, and jabbered, and
galloped over people, and shook their fists at ..Ivold-
tchiks," and seemed as if the rain had boiled them up
to a furious internal fermentation. We could not
tell what it was all about ; bat fancied we had done
something that might possibly doom us to Siberia or
the knout. Everything, however, has au end, excep
rain in Russia; and so, at last, we made our w►y to
the covered gallery which had been constructed for
the diplomatic bodies and their friends. A large
space had been railed off, in the centre of which
was a handsome pavilion for the accommo-
dation of the Emperor and his family, and round
it, on three sides, were galleries similar to that
in which we found ourselves located. For the first
halt•hear we had ample amusement in watching each
successive arrival in our own gallery. There were
the Americans, in their blue uniforms and yellow
plumes; the Austrians, in their magnificent hussar
pelisse", the fur on which was worth thousands of
roubles ; the Russians, in every colour under the sun
and the diplomate,in blue andgold, and a painful mono-
tony of tight boots. Wehad also o it Persian andTark-
ish friends, who, it is said, are never failing in their
attendance wherever there is eating and drinking
going on ; and Circassian,' in whose yellow skins and
awfully hooked noses I cannot see any type ot beauty,
whatever ethnologists may say to the oontrary. In
strong contrast to all these parti•coloured masque-
riders, 1 observed a pale, dark man in clerical rubes
ot black, relieved in front by the thin stripe of velvet,
and wearing the tremendous shovel hat that marks
the monseigneur "of the Vatican. It was the
secretary to the Pope's Nuncio, who, after some
ne-
gotiation, and many scruples to be overcome, has
been duly received at the Russian court, notwith-
standing all the remonstrances of Patriarch or Arabi-
mandrite. la there not something suggestive in this
little fact ?—subtle, patient Rome thus getting the
small end ot the wedge into the great schism that
so nearly divides with her the dominion of the
Christian world ? Roman eocleeistics honoured guests
un the holy city !—what next ? From our elevated
position we could now see the arrangements for the
least, and they were abundant and worthy of the cc-
cameo. Several miles of tables surrounded the en-
closure 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 mountains of bread, and here
and there dwarf puce trees, Irons which hung in
tempting festoons the savoury sausages so dear to
Sarmatian palates. Pails ot beer decorated every

°inner in which there was room for them to stand,
and round this tempting least the tantalised mujike
clustered, impatient for the signal to begin. At the
angles of each square, formed by the arrangement
01 the tables, stood the tountitius twin which wine
and vodka weru to tlow—liquids which the rain
front above was rapidly diluting to a most harmless

amount of stimulus. For the amusement of the
young people there were the Montagne& Russo, the

turnabouts, and the circus—and, wonderful instance
of the pursuit of pleasure under difficulties, every one
of these machines had constant employment. Then
there was the circus, under the royal pavilion, and
the balloon, and the bands, that played with a per
severance worthy of finer weather. Long before the
arrival of the Emperor, the Grand Duke Constantine
was on the ground, and 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 wee, and pails of beer,
had al disappeared, and the mujiks were
standing on the tables, with their mouths
and pockets filled to bursting, and the
empty beer pails on their heads for um-
brellas. From the table-cloths the ladies had
improvised flowing mantillas, and the audience was in
c ,mfortable condition to cheer the Emperor and
enjoy the amusements provided. As all this occurred
at a considerable distance from where I stood I
cannot say bow the sheep were dissected or the
beef sliced, but this I know, that no knives or fork.
were allowed for fear of accident, and, therefore,
tho obvious conclusion is that the division was
effected in a very primitive manner. We
amused oureelees for some minutes speculating on
the probabilities, wondered how one man had ob-
tained the leg of mutton that peeped out of his
breeches pocket, how another had performed
the decapitation that enabled him to clap a sheep's
head, with gilded horns, on the top of his old hat, and
at last began to look bark at tho Petroffeki
Palace, and the long Mite of Leeghian guards and
Circsesisns, that waited the passage of the Emperor
to his pavilion. At last, about two o'clock, the impe-
rial cortege emerged from the chateau, the bands
I struck up the esti nal hymn, the people cheered
lustily, and the Emperor, followed by a brilliant but
rather damp staff, rode rapidly into the enclosure.
Without meaning any disrespect to the Emperor, or
the closet of generals by whom ho was followed, the
I best idea I can give you of the effect is by comparing
it to 601110 well•got-up cavalcade in the circus
with prancing horses, and riders io every variety
, of showy costume. His Majesty rode rapidly
1 round the enclosure, followed by his staff,
• and then dishing through an opening rode
I down amongst the people, who fell back like
retiring waves on each side, and shook the dens*

atmosphere with their joyful recognition of this
gracious proof of their sovereign's confidence in their
loyalty and affection. We could see the white plumes
winding sinuously through the crowd, as cheer upon
cheer was taken up and prolonged through each sec-
tion of this vast multitude. The rain, which came
dawn in a pitiless stream, was completely forgotten,
and the people had a gleam of delight, the mi mory
of which will sustain them until the next
" Festin." Having made hie rounds, the
Emperor returned to the pavilion, and the
sports of the circus began with an act of
equitation by a female martyr in white muslin, who
was drenched to the skin long before she had leaped
through her paper balloon. Then the acrobats
drooped over the tops of their poles like so many
drowned rats, and the " Veteran Green" of the
Moscow aeronautics struggled hard to make the gas
inside his vast machine produce the proper amount of
distention in spite of the collapsing influence of the
water outside. At last a tolerable amount of rotun-
dity was produced, the balloon lazily ascended, to be
in a moment lost in the mist; and a signal from the
imperial pavilion pronounced the sports of the
" Fedi° du People" to have terminated. Then
came the smashing of carriages, the kick-
ing over of traces, the loud neighing of the wild
horses, and the frantic calls for "Ivan," and
"Basil," and "Constantin," and "Alexis." Fancy
the Haymarket at the close of a Jenny Lind night,
and the linkboys 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 bootishnicke, 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 liadinka.