New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-29
FROM AN AMERICAN IN THE RUSSIAN
SERVICE.
,ou.,pop9enee of The n. y. Tribune.

After more than months stay in It. Peters
burg, we at length succeeded in completing our ar
rapoements wi b Mr. Peecar, chief of the medical
department of his Msjesty's government. This
seeming delay, is not to be wondered at, when we
take into consideration the fact that the mlnutest
derails of every department OF this vast en-
pire have to pass 10 review and obtain the sane
ton of one mantle Emperor. The strict sys
tenn Of accountability which is everywhere en-
forced renders oil officials chary of assuming
responsibility and hen.e, before closing any bust
ness transaction not authorized by existing law
or warranted by precedent, all wait until the pro-
posed act ascends step by step, to the chief source
Of power and obtains bis sanction Consequently,
DELAYS in this country, instead Of being dangerous
are actually necessary, and those who bring
their grist to the Emperors mill must anticipate
item and make up their minds 10 wait in pa
tieuce This to an American is difficult task,
as have learned by experience, but by allow
ing NV impatence harmless efervescence daily,
and occupying my time with the interesting
features OF great city and strange people, as
though acquaintance with tnrm were the
chief object of my life, days and seeks we're soon
Filtered into The sea of the past" and now | en-
10Y the satisfaction of reaping harvest the seeds
iety Although our contract provided expressly
that we should BE- employed in the hospitals at or
near the seat Of war In the Crimea, we at the same
time agreed t, go 10 any other point at which 1t
might better suit the ends of the Government TO
employ our services. lyon receiving our commits
soIs therefore, instead of beng req lired to bend
our steps southwark, we were ordered 10 report
ourselves TO the governor general of Finland at
Helsingfors who we were informed would deter
mine our final destination A uniform being
necessary before entering upon discharge OF
duty we asked and nhtainsd lasva IN pnstpa ne our
departure from St Petersburg for few days in
order TO obtain the prescribed OUTFIT This con-
sists of dress and undress suit OF black cloth,
trimmed with red binding silver bnttOns AMI lace,
a helmet, sword and spurs. In addition to these,
each officer is required 10 have an overcoat of
gray cloth, called patio, and which in this
northern climate is constantly necessary for com.
fort-ihe whole costing about one hundred and
twenty dollars.
In ,peskpp of clothes am reminded of re-
one.t 10 describe tue form of dress in the Russian
capital Among the better classes the styles are
not materially different from our own, aud the
party. dress OF the gentlemen, with the exception
Of the very long, wide-tOed boots, and strapped
pants which sre 1T present in vogue, precisely the
zane lady dressed Ia mode in Ne~-Yort
could scsrcel, be distinguished from one fitted out
in ST. Petersburg by the dress merely, so great 10
styles and apparently governs the fashionable
world with great uniformity
Summer clothes are rarely seen, as they do not
afford sufficient protection against tie chilly even
iDgs and cold nights, which succeed even the
wsrnest days. In ADDITION TO 0hst we would con
slider warm winter suit, most gentle nen wear
habitually heavy overcoat or cloak vito one Or
two capes Ask them why they do so and they
reply that whsteyer is a good protection against
cold is equally good one against heat, and that
they are really cooler with than without them.
neither this theory be true or not II at any rate
looks strange 10 zee so many person. prJmenading
the streets during the hottest part OF July day,
each with clothes enough upon his back to CON.
pepsate polar bear for the loss Of his hide. Per.
baps in no place in the world Of equal size and im-
portance with ST. Petersburg is there to be seen
less fuppisbness OF fever e1quisites; animals Of
this kind not being as yet, dOmesticated there.
Why this is so l cannot say, unless from
the fact that 70 many young men seek
their fortunes in the military service where
ever thing is prescribed according 10 certain FORMS
ard who at the present time at least, have some
thing else with which 10 occupy their minds than
the tie of cravat or the twid OF a moustsche.
Then again, the present generation have had q
worthy example in he late Emperor, who although
possessed OF a godlike form, Of which be was
Justly proud, in his dress consulted elegant simp
city, rather than show, and in his manneSs the
dignity of manhood rather than the frskiness of a
dsDcng-msster. Everything about hun was OF
this stamp Acknowledgement The interior OF
his palace being particularly 30, magnificent but
simple the magnifcence of the polished granite
moroith that rose beneath his hands 20 Alexsn-
der the First, or the plain, glistening panels of
marble that line the interior of his greatest arch-
tectural work the lzakchincho. The finest horses
he empire can afford 10 be seen in ST. Peters
burg noble-looking " fast span comm inding al
most any price the owner is inclined to ask
The young officer seated in his polished drOsMy. be-
hind his finely groUmed nag with muee driver
in a blue csitsn and low crowned hit sailing down
,be Nevsky Prospect. presents truly gay specta
Gle The scene, ho >ever, is free from that clear
tbetrack yOu-old. iOgy air so common among tue
"bOys" in our own country. If delayed in mar
row track BY any one ahead who is not disposed 10
drive fast enough 10 suit his youthful spirit, be
will cOurteously rein up until an opening presents
when be politely passes by. The Russian gentle
man. even behind fast horse never fprgets his
politeness or the courtesy due others, whether
they be old or young last or slOS As in Boston.
special law exists here prohibiting smoking in
the streets ard although almost all gentlemen aud
many of the ladies', too, are psssiunately fond Of
and much addicted 10 the habit. yet you never see
il Outside the houses. Chewing Is unknown. and
is locked upon as species Of semi bar narism be-
heath their good breeding, and really think gen.
tlemeD spp.ar much better, and are certainly more
attractive, when their mouths are free frOm the
noxoUs quid.
Having everything in readiness we packed our
worldly possessions civil and military Cd a large
eahgs, and seating myself in company WITH two