Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-12-14
by two good looking officers, who escorted
the m TO the deck hslOW.

| here the NislCrS were agreeabfy surprised
| ty The handsome and tasty arran gensrrs, and
| II me ed that, instead OF being shipsoA Ard, +,
We were In some fsiry garden. Over this deck
was ihrc cwn canopy, lined inside. on the top
| hDo on The sides with the flags of all nations,
| rominent among them our Own stars and
| str entWred with the Imperial standard
| OF kussia. Around the mizz nj mast was q rack
OIL u kSts, III The N III Df "a n lighted can
| die, the whole z: acefuiy interviewer with
e'trsr,ens, the C.rter being fiIIad with diff f.r-
| ent CT loled moss to represent hills and daIos.
| Al ont the m,zzs ha,chway th"1 10 square
| fol ne uf isto 9, each cnntatl hing a ca idle; /;
| 81 d i'll The center OF Il aioon a chandelier r
| 1nt Of hayoDets, bearlhs about 80 candles.
shtd its II. ht and made the spot vastly attrac-
| i've Along the bridge lumber of lanterns OF
| red, white and blue were suspended. The
| over IaIt OF the II AIN. mast was tistefullv
| el WlIed with tTecgreens, and front OF it
| an aIcove of about ten feet square W for ned,
| faNn table in the center, aud The seats
around 1t Gov red with dities eat solorei cIsn-
| IONS. Near his alcove the band OF the fiagsnip,
ont d. ana GShkk GHsfk nv he visitors wers
| ming n toaId they played many Of our
| natoI al airs in excellent manner. Behind
| Dis band werr squad of armed st amen phera
| bsirg no marines proper in the Russian Nivy,)
| aud bt hind these :he sailors gathered as spec
| iaioIs OF the gty
On me gun deck the or anents we're much the
| same IS above. The tntrancs to the Ad uirsls
o. 1tsIs, which extends ross the stern of the
| bt al. snd are about tnirty feet long, was hand
| msly trimmed with eyeIgr, ems, &c. Here
| the c.. MI any were presented 20 .ha Russian
| Mills er BY Speaker C,ifax, then to tue Ad-
miral ard his acoompl sheo lady. Att-r
snort time spent N cuhltrSatlon aud in exami-
pht OF the different POI tIonS OF tue ship,
| through wbith We Were conductcd b' poltes
| al d attentive officers. who spoke toier loiy
god English, the company Sat down - the
| suI ,rb lspa>l, prepart OF direction of BlToG
| 5 O ci e me Russian N 'nt -, r, ny \. Wo5d.ey,
| oI the ..Star and Garter" iotel In s3.es " -
| b: n isoncty GscO1aed with ioWars Ant ever
| Ela.ns, iuI nisnHd ny Mr.. John Watt. Hr. De-
| m heL u nish"d the confectionery. The taoir5
Ior tie lad es occupied oae side # the decH, aud
| Oh the other weTr placed those Tor the tO.her
,ea; hill in the fairy lIse alcovr in the center
Ear.n SlpkeI, Speaker CoIftx, Sena.ors Hale,
Chtl der md Harris, Ii. W inter DAVIS, Arm id,
| Elliot Nd others were sea,ed. DuT.n he r.
Pas. he band station Ell a. enc end OF lie ;aci3r
uIscOuis' fine Il usiC. These tables gere .ic2-
Ixily furnished with cnoice urinkables Tel
as estabIrs, and huge BOWLS OF Huss. an puncA-
| breWase 10 be spoken o. with en:tre r5spett--
Ntrr pIHc' at short intervals.
ter The su ubstantIais la the shape % oysters,
| tu,ktys, &c, had b-en par1aken uf, SpaaIer
Ctl ak N company with Baron ) uearl) Al
,anceu TO the tibl- occupied prlGciptIly ~ the
Ia. ies and giving ti.ree rap@ raid, The Hoasa
! y i'll enc 10 order (iaugnitr) and att order
| tsd been res cred SAID:
| "iadies and GsrtleHiem: The Russian minis
t'r, Ia on Won S'tEkrl, " shss 20 say a word
10 you, ai.tr " blch Il salute viii be iilel ION
obs OF The vessels Of TIE iie-t.'
| Tie karon thtp, filling his glass, ssid:
~ give you the ,cast OF The haPp'heSs and
AC niral, and all the officers Of the Il @t hank
yon tor the hospitality with whirh we save
bet d treaI+d while in o"r country"
This toast Was drank with 2raat enthusiaSrn
By all the company, ana ag the same time d
saluTs OF tween iy-one guns was Rrrd from tbs
o her vessels ithe guns OF tle Osliaba svins
beer Iemoved.)
Later in the day Speaker Coifax ,ain called
tho asse mblage 20 order, |. spcEa g. follows:
Ad"i,a!: After the toast gwen il honor os
our great country by that gentleman y hD so
" woribiiy represents your Imperial Master At
| the capitol, and after TIE salute just fred, il
oe>olves upon me TO make . few v ords OF re-
81 cnse.
The representatives of the Congress OF
OF Amerca, rf rfcelVing your kind invita- ion,
ha'e assembled here to thank you, under the
enlWln.t flags OF Russia and America, and 20
par axe OF J our generous hospitality. l iced
not say 70 yCu that since the common cement
OF the great struggle i'll which this country is
engaged Tor its existence, the heart of every
Amerit an is warmed towards all those who
sent welcome words OF friendship aud sym pa
thy TO tie Republic founded by Washington.
And when scIo oss the broad Atlantic csne the
chssrIng words OF sympathy, in The hour OF
nihI, from the Czar cf all the Russi.s, our
hearts warmed, as never b. fore, towards all
The pc ople in ,hat distant land.
Your country is great, and our country, dig
tracted as 1t is 70. day, but with the glad sun
is slso great. Yours i'll three continents, E1-
rope, Asia and America, ours in one, bu. SPAN
ming the er tire continent from ocean to ocean.
On the one side from our Atlantic coast, our
commerce with it's white winged sails speed
onw ard to your ports on the East. On the
other side on the Pacific slope, our great nation
the greeting OF grasped hands. And thus these
TWO great countries almost encircls the globe.
thank ,ou Tor the cordial welcome given
and the United States" May the friendship
between them be as perpetual rs the stars.
Alter he repast, the most of the conpanv
r. tire d 10 tho upper deck, where to the inspir-
Ing music number of our bellies, with Russian
partners, 'stripped through the graceful waltz"
Hon. Owen I.ovejoy, We believe, led of in the
waltz.
The ward room was, however, tho most eou-
yivlal place, and here many Of the guests found
their way during the afternoon, and seated
around full bowl Of Russian Punch, which
punched some Of the visitors considerably.
was the 'American Eagle" given aud drank
by fhe Russians, and the Americans drank
"The Russian Lear" Here. late in the day.
were such toasts as sTbe day we celebrate.'
given, and many an American not initiated
il to the mysteries Of Russian Punch drinking,
came away with bee in his hair.
Baron Stoekei was the personation OF cour-
tesy and good hulnor, and the Admiral and
his lady, with the difeIen, officers, did all In
their power to make the visitors feel at home.
The officers and men Of the fleet appeared to
he strong and robustset OF men, Of an average
Size OF pt rhaps FIVE feet eight, but they are
remarkably we'll developed, broad shouldered.
&c. The seamen dress much the same as do
ours, wearing blue trowsers and shirts with
collars trimmed with white, and every one ON
Saturday appeared scrupuIously clean. Tha
officers appeared in full uniform, dark blus
pants and froek coats trimmed with u small
n d cord, some with gold, some silver shoulder
knots, while others wore on their shoulders q
piece OF gold or silver lace They all wore
blue ciotn caps with white cords covering the
same There is no other nationality but Rus.
sian among the officers and crew, and 1t was =
subject OF remark that most of the officers and
men could understand and speak English more
or less.
The fleet is composed Of fine. staunch looking
vessels, and withal sit light and gracefully
upon the water, locking like our clipper-built
ships. They are all headed up the stream, aud
their mokestacks being slowed below they bear
the appearance OF sailing vessels.
From California
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10-F. F. Low was
to-day inaugurated as Governor for the ensuing