The Portland daily press., 1867-09-24
Miscellany.
The Russian Reception of the American
ExcurIionists.


ExcarIionists.
'Mark Twain" who is one of the party on
board the American excursion yacht Quaker
City. writes to the New York Tribune plea
SAINT account of the visit made by the party to
the Emperor of Russia, at his summer palace,
near Yalta. Before the visit, the travellers
were seized with great anxiety as to what
they should do in the imperial presence.
We had the United States Consul on board
the odessa consul. We assembled all hands
IN the cabin and commanded him to tell us
what we must do to be saved and tell us
quickly. he made speech. The first thing
De SAID iell like blight upon every hopeful
spirit: ne mad never seen q court reception
lhree groans for the Consul But he said
he had seen receptions at the gOyernor-gene-
rals at Odessa, and had often listened tn neo
pies experiences at the Russian and yarious
other cou.ts, and believed he knew pretty
well what sort of ordeal we were to ESSAY.
Hope budded again. He said we were many
the Sumner Paa e was small-a mere man
sion; doubtless wewould be received in sum
mer fashion-in the garden; we would stand
in row, all the gentlemen in swallow tailed
coats white kids and white peckties. and the
ladies In light colored silks, or something of
Inht Rino at the proper moMent-12 meridian
-the emperor, attended by his suite arrayed
10 splendid uniforms, would appear and walk
slowly along the hne, bowling to some and
saying a few words TO Others. At fine mo-
ment HIS Majesty appeared, a universal. de-
i,iSnOeu' enthusiastic smile ought to break out
lihe an epldemlc among the PASSENGERS
siiii'e " ioVe, OF qualification, OF admiration
ana with one accord, the party must begin to
bow-not obsequiously, but iesnectnIS anJ
Win dignity; at the end OF fifteen minutes tbe
Emperor would go in the house. and we couJJ
shin along home again
we leit Immensely relieved IL seemed in
manner easy. There wasn't a man in the
party but believed that with a little n,actice
ne could s'and IN row, especially il there
were others along; there wasn't a man but
peheVeu ne could bow without tripping on
MS coaI-tail and breaking his neck; in
word, we came TO believe we were eGual IN
any item in the performance except thar COM
phcated smile. The Consul also said that we
ought TO draft little address to the Emner-
Oh, ana present it to one OF his aides-de camn
VINO would forward it to him at the pyoner
time. Therefore, five of us were annoinfed
10 prepare the document, and the SO others
went sadly smiling about the ship. During
the next Twelve hrurs we had the apnear
anue, somehow, Of being at funeral where
everybody was sorry the death had occurred
sniilng, and yet broken hearted. The Com
sufs closing statement was that it would be
eeiquette to invite the Emperor to visit the
as usual. N0'''ne'
=, committee went ashore to wait on bis
Exceliency the Governor General. and Iea,n
our late. at the end OF three bonrs -,
pouihg suspense they came back and
SAD the Emperor would receive ne at
~, NOON tne next day-would send carriages for
us-Would hear the address in ne,son Tho
Grand Duke Michael had sent to invite nc t to
MS palace also-both desired to visit tho
ship the following day with tsheir families. the
WeaVher permitting. Cormterfejted smiles
never gave place to real ones so suddenly he.
lore! Any man could see that there was an
intention here to show that Russia's friend.
snip ior America Was so genuine as to render
eve =, ner private citizens objects worthy of
Kindly attentions
Al the appointed hour VIC drove out three
ihiies, anu assembled in the handsome garden
N iront OF the Emperors palace In five min
utes the Autocrat came out. and with him tha
empress, the Grand Duchess Marie (ber
daughter pretty, blue-eyed, fair-hared girl of
"a and a little Grand Duke, about 10 wears
OLD. With them came a few Princes and great
iignltaries in handsome but not qaudy mi
forms. We took off our bats. [ smiled reel,
less smile at the finest uniform, but found it
was only the Lord High Admiral, and SO had
10 smile 1tall over again. II had had any sense
l miSnt nave known that the Imperial family
wouldbe the plainest dressed personages on the
spot. The Consul read the address 10 the EN-
peror, and then he handed it to him. He said
WORD OF TWO IN reply, and passed the docu-
ment to a court dignitary.
There was but little ceremony here. We
were shown through the palace in the free-
and easy way we had already got accustomed
10, ana Then our friends the Princes. and Cen
erals, and harnesses, conducted the gang all
ABOUT the lawns and groves of the park, /
e q IT, mad reached my level at last. IL
s sl y one thlng mat am naturally fitted
luz; II Is 70 converse with Dukes. got along
wen. Ihey could not understand the subtle
Iies OF an American joke, it is true, and so
Iney generally laughed in the wrong place
however, 1t wasn't any matter-they were in
lerlof Jokes anyhow, and some of them very
old. " '"eni very
some OF us fingered in the grounds good
wniie, and when we got back we found the
balance OF the mob scattered about the re-
ception-room and the verandahs, sitting at lit
ne tables, drinking tea and wine and eating
Oiead and cheese and cold meats with the
~ Duke, who ate at one table. awhile and
then at another, and kept the conversation
ana the destruction of provisions going with
a zeal which was perfectly astonishing in the
brother OF an Emperor. did not suppose
that the brothers of autocrats were so much
like other people. Some people have curious
ways about them. This SORT of thing NAV
have suited His Imperial Hiehness but if I
were a Grand Duke wouldn't eat with those
Varlets. As the circumstances stood, howev-
er. took hand. They give you lemon TO |
squeeze into your tea there, or iced milk If |
you prefer it. The former is best. The |
Grand Dukes tea was delicious. II il hroigI,t
overland from China. 1t injuries the article
to transport it by sea-