New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-05

sweet with the breath OF the haif-raked hay Span
Of GENIAL culture rather than art. There Is here
an artificial lake. surrounded by low but steep
hills which are covered with Summer villas and
terraced gardens. A cutter on the water and
fun. rigeed mizennazt planted on the hill behind
the palace give evidence Of the Grand Dukes na-
val tastes Braisted, with sailors eye, criticised
the rigging of the mast rather sharply, bat the
prncely bo,s who run up and down these .hrouds
are not expected 10 DO duty before the mast, ana
80. perhaps il makes little difference. Besides,
TO learn seamanship on mizen.mast planted IN
the woods, is Ike learning TO swim upon your cin'
lng.table.
In The evening some thousands of Petersburgers
assembled around pavilion attached to the raii-
road station, where the orchestra Of the younger
Strauss added music 10 the unbroken twilight.
This is a speculation Of the railroad compan ny,
which pays Strauss 1900 rubles for his own -er.
wees during the Summer months. had he4rd
better music performed under the direction OF his
celebrated father, and looked at the crowd rather
than listened 10 the band. Here were civil and
military gentlemen mixing ike oil and vinegar IN
salad; noble ladies, some beautiful and all we'll
dressed; files de joie rouged and crinolined, hun.
ing alone or in couples; countless nurses, looking
after children in fancy peasant costume-red SHIRT
sash, wide trOwsers and boots: pale, slender, Clr-
cassian officers, resembling antique Grccian bas-
reiiefs; Persisns in plenty, each with an entire
black sheep covering over his fox-like face and
lively sprinkling Of Armenians, Cossacks and Tar
tsrs. When the Emperor is at home, be may often
be seen here, with the Empress on his and the
older children following, walking in the crowd
We devoted one evening to tour of the islands,
the beauties Of which have not been overpraised by
travellers There are forty, altogether, in the delta
Of the Neva, all Of which are included within the
precincts Of the city, but only seven Of them are
of any considerable size. Many Of the smaller ones
are still Wild unnhabited swamps, frequented only
BY the seal in Summer and by the wolf in Winter.
The Others lying beside them, crowded with paa-
ces, villas and gardens, exhibit the difference be-
tween civilization and bsrbarism in Nature. Cross
ing the Troitska Bridge, to the large Aptekarsko
Island, We pass on the right the first church built
in st. Petersburg an old wooden structure, with
green domes, such as may be seen in many coun-
try village. Even before leaving this island, the
city proper is gradually transformed into garden
suburb, with scattered houses buried in foliage.
Following the throng Of carriages and droshkies,
we cross TO Kammenoi Island, where the suburban
character is complete. Every dwelling, be it only
wooden cottage no bigger than toman's box,
sits in nest of flowers and hides itself under q
covert of trees. The farther north you CO. the
greater the fondness for flowers. In the Tropics,
gardens are planted for shade, but here for the
bloom and odor, the bright, transient coloriDg for
which the'eyc hungers after six months OF snow.
Nowhere is 50 much Of Summer crowded into the
space of three months.
was going to compare the rosds on these islands
to the eastern part Of Euclid street, in Cleveland,
Ohio, but there the dwellings and grounds are alto
gether of more stately character. The Russian
villas-datchas they are called-sre built of wood,
generally without regard TO architectural style, but
quaint, cozy, irregular and picturesque. Now and
then you see genuine Swiss farmhouse, with pro-
jecting caves and balconies Of carved wood. Some
Of the handsomest residences are veritable log
houses the trunks Of equal SIZE overlapping at the
corners, and simply barked and painted. There
could be no finer model for an American farm
house, especially in the West but with US the taste
for glaring brick predominates. Some traveller
has said that in Russia the expressions red" and
" JsautJur' are synonomous The same thing
might be said Of u.s. remember one house be-
tween Milwaukee and Racine which was pure ver-
million, and resembled a red-hot lime-kiln. Many
of these datehas also, are touched up with red,
and have Summer awnings of striped canvas, fash
ioned like tents or pavilions, over the entrance.
Before every window there is shelf studded with
pots of exotic flowers.
AT the end Of Kanmenoi Island is a Summer
theater, where French yaudeyilles are performed.
Beyond is Yelaginskoi Island, whereon the Empe-
peror has villa and garden which are maryels OF
scrupulous neatness and elegance Through every
break in the empowering woods you catch glimpses
Of the clear green arms Of the Neva either hand,
and, as if this mixture of land and water were not
sufficiently labyrinthine, artificial lakes are hollow
ed in the islands, the earth being employed to form
mounds and ridges above their uniform level. AZ
ter drive of FIVE or SIX miles through these en-
chanting island suburbs, You reach the shore of the
Gulf on Krestofiskoi, and may watch the sunset
moving across Finland, until il becomes morning
over Lake Ladoea.
If YOU would see all this, take your over-coat
with you; fox, although the thermometer may
stand all day at 90o in the shade, with evening
comes fresh, cold air. BY disregarding the Gus
tom of the country in this respect, have caught
beautiful cold in ny head. Until midnight the
islands are alive with merry multitude. There
are pavilions where artificial mineral waters are
drunk. artificial Tyrolese and real gpses sing, and