The Portland daily press., 1874-03-03
Winter Scenes in st. Petersburr.

Ihe correspondent of the London Daily
News at the Russian capital has the following
sketches OF daily life in st. Petersburg:
''Sleighing with one horse is very well in its
way, but IT you would take the amusement In
its pure form you must have, at the lowest
computation, three steeds, and all the better
il you can make the number four or six. In
our case we contented ourselves with three
They were capital match as to color and
size, black as raven, possessed of long flow
ing tails and names, arched necks and fiery
nos'rils, and each of that long, slender, wry
build to be seen nowhere in such perfection
as here. The middle horse steod in the broad
bnlging shafts, carrying the arched bar over
his head; the two outer animals ran almost
loose. one slight trace alone attaching them
to the sledge. Muffied up considerably above
the chin, and trussed and stuffed and tucked
in beneath the furs and rugs, away we went.
The Nevski Perspective was full of sleghs it
had been full of sleighs all the day. The ex-
citement was exhiarating indeed, as the low
lying craft shot here and there with tie lights
streaming upon them, and the lively chorus
es Of sleigh bells doing their best to make
common cause with their louder-tongued
fraternity of the church belfries. It
would seem that services were being held in
many places Of worship; for as we darted by
we could catch sigh. of Illuminated interiors
and masses ef empty sleighs around the en-
frances. In the Nevski-three miles long
though it is-the sleishs were countless. Ev-
cry specimen of the delightful little vehicle
was out. Now tearing and raging, thorough
bred steeds snort In your ear, and pass on
like flash OF thought, escaping collisions on
ly by hairbreadth, but never charming or
coming to harm, Who the occupants are the
| rapidity of the passage conceals, almost as
mnch as the costly sabes, but as the elegant
ly painted equipage whisks abreast of US sill
| yer laughter sounds like sweet music Next
comes the humble sleigh with a Lily party
packed in after the manner of the suburban
COckney on Sunday afternoons and holidays.
| Then the dapper turnout of the swell, or the
| solid high-set family sledge of ;some witch or
off We have not proceeded mile down
this thoroughfare of thoroughfares before we
discover that we have another lesson to uI-
| learn. is it not a proveIb that the Russian
drosky, or sledge-driver; is the most reckless
of Jehus, and that neither live DOR limb Is
safe in his hands ?To be sure, as the istvoschik
strides his queer perch, takes a rein
in each outstretched hand, bends forward
his body, and shouts and gesticulates, he
looks uncoI1monly formidable; to be sure,
also, when at the rate Of eight or nine miles
all hour you glide before, atbwart, behind,
and between other sledges going at a rate
equal to your own, it looks most dangerous
business. Notice, however, that all comes
right; that the beautiful horses which, ap-
pro"Shing from behind, touch you on the
shoulder, or breathe into your ear, never bite,
never run you down, hover vince, never fall
ter; that the driver pulls up short ana sharp.
and sure at yards distance; ana chat.
above everything, the horses, notwithstand-
ing their appearance of fire and rage, are per-
fectly trained and dociie, and the drivers as
careful as any passenger with ordinary nerves
| would wish them to be.
1 Tba Ip1 h~J Al
duke to grand skating fe- tival In their gar
dens this evening, and the duke had accepted
the invitation. 1t was whispered, too, that
the car himself would grace the scene with
his presence. l can scarcely trust myself to
describe the fairy spectacle those gardens
presented. Entering the outer gates, and
passing throug the ante-rooms where furs
were left and skates adjusted, you suddenly
found yourself before thonsanos of dazzling
| lights.