Morning journal and courier., 1885-03-17
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Leaves from the Journal of
 Young Man i'm Russia i'm 1S4S-9
 Paper by the Hon. Colin M. Inger.

Leaves from the Journal of a ! Young Man i'm Russia i'm 1S4S-9 Paper by the Hon. Colin MI. Hnger- soil.
 The New Haven Colony Historical society held meeting in the society's rooms in the old State House last evening. The minutes of the last meeting were read by the secre- tary and accepted. The curator then gave a list of the many donations to the society dur ing the last month, after which the president introduced the Hon. Colin M. Ingersoll, who read a paper, 'Leaves from the journal of @ young man in Russia 1848 g." He had before given leaves from journal written while in France. 'tWe left Paris and started for the capital of Russia. Perhaps I might interest you with what I saw on the way-in Holland with it's contented men, it's grotesque cus- toms and it's queer vessels, which look as though they could as well sail sideways as any other way. Or might speak of Prussia with it's remarkable history and it's queer customs. But will give you my first i'm. pressions of the Czar of Russia and his peo- pie.
 ':On Monday, May 17th, we saw land in the far distance covered with fields of snow and ice. A great contrast to Berlin, which we had left three days before. It was very cold. We fell in with several ships, one of which wanted to embark man on our ship, but as no one is allowed to embark without express permission we were obliged to refuse. It seemed as though we were on the isthmus between two worlds-the Old and the New The sun set at o'clock, but at o'clock one could read by daylight. The next day the ice flow stopped our progress. The weather grew colder and it was not fit to be on deck A way was forced through the ice to Con stadt. When we arrived there every article in the ship was brought on deck and exam ined, as well as the passengers, who were carefully scrutinized in order to ascertain whether they corresponded to the description given in their passports. We left the steamer there and took a. smaller one which was to take us to a place near St. Petersburg, and in a short time the domes of the great city appeared to our eyes, some shining with gold and others glistening with silver. The city has vast number of beautiful buildings and presents a grand look. The sun came out for few minutes and enhanced the glory of the picture. But for the cold we could easily have imagined that we were around the golden horn.
 ''But soon feeling of desolation came over us, for we could see nothing of the city ex- cept the one view presented to us from the window of the house,
 MT. Ingersou then read an extract from a letter of Randolph, the minister to Russia under Andrew Jackson, in which he said that the atmosphere of St. Petersburg was worse than Stygian, and the flies that pester- ed the people made the country 8 veritable land of Pharaoh and the plaques. It was Egypt without the fertility
 When the weather grew milder the view of the city was imposing. Everything is made on grand scale. The streets are wide and the squares spacious. The city has nothing commercial about it, but looks like the resi- dence of 8 great court.
 On the 30th of May MT. Ingerso1 and his party were presented to the Emperor. His palace is a colossal structure in which about six thousand people live from day to day. The Emperor Nicholas was pleased with the country of the United States and remarked on the war with Mexico, saying that when Europe was at peace the United States were at war and vice versa. The Emperor was tall and well built, almost perfect specimen of the human form.
 On the &fst of June the party visited the Imperial garden where the troops were to be reviewed. The gardens were thronged with men, women and children. The coming of the Emperor was announced with sudden blast of trumpets and suddenly at move ment of his the shouts and .trumpets ceased and the national hymn was sung.
 The review occupied five hours. About eighty thousand troops were the field. These were distinct from the regular army, being the special troops of the Emperor. The whole army contained not less than a billion of men,
 The regiments passed before the Emperor in perfect order, each being distinguished by it's own color; each horse had it's number braided in it's mane. The horses moved like machines keeping perfect time to the music
 Everything seemed to be done with stiff formality and to have a military look. All is part of one great ms chine. The Emperor is the only one that talks, thinks and ac ts. He is the one mechanic working on humanity.
 Sunday in St. Petersburg is the same as any other day. The stores are open and the usual line of business is gone through with. MT. Ingersoll's party visited the Emperors island and the village of the Czar about twenty miles from the Capitol. Here is his summer residence. The country for miles around IS perfect garden. There is regu- larity and sameness of style about the palace.
 The paper was concluded by an account of grand ball given at the house of one of the wealthiest of the Russian nobility. It was the most brilliant ball ever given at that place. Over eighteen hundred invitations were sent out. MT. In gersoH gave short description of the palace furniture and the ball costumes.
 MT. Gardner moved that a vote of thanks from the society be rendered MT. Ingersoll. It was unanimously given.
 The following are few of the many pre- sentations and loans which have been re- ceived by the society during the last month: Photograph of Governor William Leete's house in Guiford, Conn.,, built in 1889, pre- sented by Charles Homan; model of the movable draw of the old Tomlinson bridge, made in hickory wood by Caleb Mix; framed chart of working drawings of the steamer Ontario, built in 1871; five large folio vol umes of Matthew Henry's Exposition of the Old and New Testaments dated 1737, presented by Deacon Lewis Fitch and wife an oak arm chair of Benjamin Trumbull, g writer of the last century; medallion head of Franklin Pierce, presented by MT. Thomas Phillips & Son; long -barreled air gun, stock and all of iron, presented by Dr. Fred nrick RellOSa A oreat many oil Daintinos