Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-11-17
from the London New Monthly Magazine
COLONEL VAN HALEN'S ESCAPE
From lie dungeons 81 he INqulMlso''.
(CoSCLVDED.)

Ola is full of amusement and information, but
we cannot afford 10 follow him seT'aim, and
must therefore coIttnt ourselves with quoung
a few desultory passages. we begin with
midnight adventure:
"Thr night was rather dark, and we had not
seen the figure of our postilion,or even heard his
voice: but we suspected, by the siowness oil MS
movements, tha. he was some Old cronv OF hrs
master On arriving towards the enc on the
relay, he began 10 blow bug!e with all his
might, surprising us with anumhrr oil flourish
es. Mr. Koch Informed me that we we're
going 10 cross a small river, and that the blast
with which we had bern regaled, was warning
for the bargeman Our vehicle then stopped
before the DOR Of an inn, viii h stood on an
elevated spot. and the position, aligh'ing. ask
ed Mr.. Koch's permission In enter 'he Inn to
drink plass Of brandy whilst tn hargeman
answered his sign, II Was midnight, and We
expected soon 20 cross the river; hu, alter wait,
ing a ouarter Of an hour for his return, and see
ING that the f,low lid not come Out. alight-
ed and proceeded towards a window, where a
ligtt was Drrceivabe, As looked through L
/ saw what / certainly did no! expect, but What
convinced. me tina, the fpu,!Shes OF his bugl,
were stdressrd 10 very different person from
the bargeman Our position was sitting nea'
a ,ahlr win a huge fl.gun beside him, and I"
wench on his knee. Provoked beyond exprrs>
son At this unreasonable ooTriSrip, shook the
vi dow I'LL II few open, and hrtn'r my com :
panion had time 10 alight and witness the scene.
both the hero aud the heroine came to the door
OF lhe inn, the Latter holding lantern in her
hands. by which | Observed she was an ugly
kitchen weuct OF abuu, eighteen, and he was a
young man o. Ave aud twenty. Displeassd al
INV interruption, he muttcred 'omcthmg at my
+, Impotence and at the unseaSonablcness OF nv
call, and again blew his bugls, though by no
means 81 Vigorously as ne had before done, at
ter bich we gained the barge, and continued
our wav without farther interruption"
The follow ing anccdote might make ven the
wife of s ook TX, hange agent p0hr d'enrie
wIn Russia the conSump,icn Of tea Is very
considerable. and, conSequen ~, an article nucn
in demand al th.s fair One merchant alone,
who had Just arri, cd With bis oara>an from
IN. frontiers Of China, had this year on sale
teas 10 the value Of 5000 600 of roublts.- This
msn. who came always accompanied by is
young wife, lady p 'sseSsing many .oer~pnal
attractions. yearly performed 4 uruty t" China
at the head ofhi> cara, ms One dav we met
this lady at 4 shop huyIng four shaWls, Tor
which she paid 2 900 roubes. We were sur
prisrd at seeing chat woman, who scarcely
fiequented society for twenty DAYS in the year,
(mOst of her time spent In uavelihg,) should
waste so much money in mele articles Of luXr-
~; but she explained The riddle 10 US, when Sc
noticed our surprise, by saying in very grace
full manner, that 'as her husband liked to STE
her dressed in the European f4shicn, she bousht
those articles TO wear them In their jourue,
through the deserts, her only happiness cons
ssting in pleasing him"
The following det,ils relating TO the army
are extremely curious, and easily account ior
The wonderfully small expense 1T which Russia
suDports an enormous standing army:
" The colonel of regiment IN Russia is
bound, both no! nIng and evening to keep OF
pen table for all hi, officers, pay the music o.
his regiment, wbetke; of infan,ry or cavalry de-
FRAY all The expt nses Of the bospitsl of his
tonement, and take charge OF he hard work of
every article Tar the complete equipment of
his regimenI; So tha, the Emperor, or, IN other
words the crown, furnishes each regiment with
only the pay, arms, feathers, clothes, copper
and iron, and a cer,ain sum for The Irmounj of
the cavalry Then, it is acdlaed, in Russia,
and especially in Georgia, that an Infantry sol
der completely equipped Cor war, his arms
excepted, costs the go,erument twenty five
roubles (ass;gnats, which are equivalent q
sterling.
With respect TO the oolonel's table, whether
he &c present or not, it is Always provided u,
his house, either with mesic or without,
cording to the PLEASURE of hun who pre>ides,
who is the offic n hughes, in rank. IL STRAIT
ger arrives he is always Hospitality received
and placed beside the president, provided only
that he be Introduced by one IF the Off ers.
"On the other hand, the colonel, 10 b. able
TO meet the great expenses whIsh he lncurs 10
thus supporting the regiment, has the right of
employing, In time OF peace, TIE third pant OF
his troops for his own benefit, during CERTAIN
months in the year, hen the niii'ary iLsIruc-
tons are suspended. The soldiers then be-
come masons, carpenters, smiths, &c or en-
gagged in whatever occupation they may he
hired for; so that as they are furnished by the
colonel with suitable dresses, that their uni>
'Tea is dearer at Niinei than in England or Moth
America but the A., our is much finer than that
VIII che L