Smyrna times., 1895-09-25

fore were not allowed to enter. We |
were, however, allowed the privilege |
of going all around the house and look
ing in the windows. We thought then
that we had better go and see the cot
tage which is on the other side of the
Neva.
The original cottage is still there and
a house is built over it to preserve it
from the weather. Everything looks
very old, but very we'll preserved. We
were shown the boat which he used,
another evidence of the use of the
magic word. On coming back to the
city we stopped and viewed the column
in front of the winter palace. 1t is far
more wonderful than Pompey's Pillar
in Alexandria. being one piece of stone
base, shaft, capital and statue. 1t was
quarried in Finland and brought to st
Petersburg by men and horses. Should
judge the column to be at least 1876
feet high. Not very far from the win
ter palace and close to the Russian
Admiralty there is a grand statue of
Peter the: Great on horseback. 1t is
noted principally for the skill of the
artist that made it in such a manner as
to appear as if it were overbalanced.
the horse being on it's launches. The
evening was very pleasantly spent in
driving around the city and seeing the
different quarters. The city has some
very pretty dwellings, but the general
impression received is that lis far from
a clean city. Stopped at the Hotel
d'Angleterre, just across from the
cathedral of st. Isaacs.
St. Petersburg and Kronstadt, Mon
day, July 8th, 1895.-After a light
lunch, we started out a-fOot to the
Governor-Generars Office to get per-
NIT to visit the Royal Palace. We did
not have very much trouble when they
found out who we were. AS soon as
we received it we struck out for the
Hermitage" museum built by Cath
crime IL. A description of what l saw
in there is impossible, for there was
such varied assortment that it would
require a person of very great brain
power to receive and retain all that he
saw. Some of the principal objects, l
remember of course, notably, some Of
the jewels of Catherine II, tools Of
Peter the Great, etc. The paintings
are very nicely arranged, being in diff
ferent schools, with separate room for
each school. In the picture gallery,
the Italian school took my fancy par
ticularly, although some of the other
schools had very pretty pictures.
From the picture gallery we went
into the space set apart for statuary
In here there is statuary, that think,
exceeds by tar, that found in the
museum in Naples. In here we see
immense tables and ornaments made of
lapis lazuli, malachite and other prec-
iOus stones. Again we will see inlaid
tables formed Of different kinds of
stone with no two pieces OF the same
shape and size. A wooden inlaid table
seemed very Interesting to me. 1t
represented the Gar reviewing his
troops for the last time. After coming
out of the statua-y room, we went into
the room containing some of the effects
of Peter the Great and Catherine II,
Some of the work of the former is here
and it shows him to have been a thor
ough mechanic as we'll as warrior
and diplomat. Some of the watches
and fans of Catherine are merely a
mass of diamonds and sapphires. |
have never seen such a mass of accu-
mulated wealth in my life; but the
wealth displayed in the Hermitage
cannot compare any more with that in
the palace than a candle can compare
with that of the moon.
In the lower floor of the" Hermitage
we find the ine mosaic work, mum.
mics, old statuaFy and coats of mail
One of the latter deserves especial note
The suit is comprised of a covering fol
the rider and entire horse. The back
or inside of the coat is made of steeI
and gold, and on the outside there are
diamonds nearly as close together as il
is possible to put them. You can
imagine how gayly caparisoned one
would be encased in the above coat and
standing in the sunlight.
Our next stop was the Winter Pal
ace. Upon entering We were shown
upstairs, where we had one of the
Golden Company show us around. The
Golden Company is peculiar institu'
tiOn to Russia and is comprised of the
bravest of the brave, Only men who
have been daringly, personally brave
are admitted, and the majority of them
have the cross of St. George pinned on
their breast. They form the Guard OF
Honor. About the 6rst place we were
shown in the palace was the chapel
To say that it was magnificent would
be putting it very mild. The altar
itself is beyond description, but roughly
is a mass of gold and precious stones
The Car is the head of the Greek
Catholic Church and therefore the spot
Immediately behind the altar is called
the" "Holiest of Holies"instead of "HolS
of Holies," as it has been called in al
of the churches that we have visited
The High Priest took us into the "Hol
lest of Holes" where even the Cgarins
is not allowed to 60. In here is merely
a repetition of nearly all the others W.
have seen, except in the following par
ticulars.
In case behind the altar there is q
piece of the original cross encased il
crystal and on the outside, covering ths
crystal nearly, are precious stones, and
amongst them the largest rubies in the
: world. Just under this is the righ
hand of John the Baptist, and i
: also is surrounded with precious stones
Next to this there is large COLDER
chest with the record of the ohrlsten