house, and accompanied my companion on a call upon Dr. Freeze, a prominent physician of Kazan. Madam Freeze was a native of Heidelberg, and evidently loved the Rhine better than the Volga. She gave me a letter to her brother in Moscow, where she promised me an introduction to a niece of Goethe.

that conversation was a great effort, and I could hardly keep my eyes from closing. I had promised to join a supper-party at three o'clock, but midnight found me just able to stand. Fearful that I might bring discredit upon America by going to sleep during the festivities, I begged an excuse and returned to my hotel. Five minutes after entering my room I was in the land of dreams.

In the treasury of the Kremlin of Moscow the royal crown of Kazan is preserved. The descendants of Genghis Khan founded the city and made it the seat of their European For three centuries it remained a

In the evening Colonel Molostoff called at the hotel and took me to the New-Year's ball of the nobility of Kazan. I found a maze of apartments belonging to the Nobility Club-the dancing-room being quite as elegant and spacious as the large hall of the Fifth Avenue Hotel. I found files of English, French, and German pa-power. pers in the reading-room, and spent a little menace to Russia, and held the princes of time over the latest news from America. The Muscovy in fear and dread. But as the Rusmale portion of the assemblage consisted of of- sians grew in strength, Kazan became weaker, ficers and civilians, the former in the majority. and ultimately fell under Muscovite control. There was a perfect blaze of stars and gay uni- Ivan the Terrible determined to drive the Tarforms that quite outshone the evening dress of tars from the banks of the Volga. After three the civilians. As Kazan is old, populous, and severe and disastrous campaigns and a siege, wealthy, it is needless to add that the ladies in which assailant and assailed displayed prodiwere dressed just like those of St. Petersburg gies of valor, Kazan was stormed and captured. or Paris. The kingdom was overthrown, and the Russian power extended to the Urals. The cruelties of Ivan the Terrible are partially forgiven in return for his breaking the Tartar yoke.

I was introduced to several officials, among them the Governor, who had recently assumed command. Colonel Molostoff introduced me to three ladies who spoke English, but hardly had I opened conversation with the first before she was whisked away into the dance. The second and the third followed the same fate, and I began to look upon ball-room acquaintance as an affair of uncertainty. "Now," said the Colonel, "I will present you to one who is not young, but she is charming and does not dance." We went to seek her, but she was in the midst of a gay party just preparing for a visit to the lunch-room.

A pyramidal monument marks the burialplace of the Russians who fell at the capture of the city. The positions of the besiegers are still pointed out, but I believe no traces of the circumvallation are visible. The walls of the Tartar fortress form a part of the present Kremlin, but have been so rebuilt and enlarged that their distinctive character is gone.

Nicholas called Kazan the third capital of his empire, and the city is generally admitted to be first in importance after St. Petersburg and Mos

I was so utterly wearied after my long ride cow.

Its position is well chosen on the banks

There is a

One morning about two weeks before my arrival at Kazan the early risers passing this seminary discovered the body of a young man hanging upon the iron fence. It was clad only in a shirt, and no other clothing could be found. No one recognized the features of the individual, and the occupants of the seminary professed utter ignorance of the affair. As might be expected, great excitement followed the discovery, Visits of the sterner sex were absolutely forbidden, and the young maidens in the building were placed under surveillance. The gentleman who told me the story said:

of a small river, the Kazanka, which joins the versity, but time did not permit. Volga six versts away. On a high bluff stretch-ladies' seminary in equally good repute for its ing into a plateau in rear of the city, and frown- educational facilities. ing defiantly toward the west, its position is a commanding one. On the edge of this bluff is the Kremlin, with its thick and high walls inclosing the Governor's palace and other public buildings, all overlooked by a lofty bell-tower. Every part of the city gives evidence of wealth. The population is about sixty thousand, including, I presume, the military garrison. There are twelve to fifteen thousand Tartars who live in a quarter of the city specially assigned them. They are said to be industrious and peaceful, and some of them have amassed great wealth. I saw a Tartar, merchant at the ball on NewYear's-eve, and was told that his fortune was one of the largest in Kazan. I can testify personally to the energy of Tartar peddlers. On my first morning at the hotel I was visited by itinerant dealers in hats, boots, dressing-gowns, and other articles of wear. I bought nothing, but for two days was frequently accosted and urged to trade. The Tartars at Moscow are no less active than their brethren of Kazan, and very shrewd in their dealings. Every one of them appears to believe that strangers visit Russia for the sole purpose of buying dressinggowns and hats.

I took a drive through the Tartar quarter, or Kitai Gorod of Kazan, and inspected without reading the signs over the shops. The houses were little different from those in the Russian quarter, and the general appearance of the streets was the same. I glanced at several female faces, in defiance of Mohammedan law, which forbids women unveiling before strangers. On one occasion, when no Tartar men were visible, a young and pretty woman removed her veil, and evidently desired to be looked at. I satisfied her desire and my curiosity, and expressed admiration in brief Russian.

As we passed a butcher's shop my isvoshchik intimated that horse-meat was sold there. The Tartars are fond of equine flesh, and prefer it to beef. On the Kirghese steppes the horse is prominent in gastronomic festivities.

"It is very strange, especially as the police can learn nothing about the man's identity." While conversing with a high official at Nijne Novgorod a few days later I referred to this affair, and expressed my surprise that the police could not trace it out.

In Rus

"That is to say," he replied, with a shrug of the shoulder, "that the police has suppressed the particulars. It is a scandalous occurrence that may as well be kept from the public.' One thing was quite certain, if the police thought proper to conceal the details of this affair there was no likelihood of their publication. sia the police exercises a power much greater than in the United States. Those who have visited France and Austria can form a pretty correct idea of the Russian system, the three countries being nearly alike in this respect. The police has supervision over the people in a variety of ways; controls the fire department; looks after the general health; and provides for the well-being of society. Every man, woman, and child is considered under its surveillance and accounted for by some member of the force. Passports are examined by the police, and if en règle the owners are not likely to be troubled. Taxes are collected, quarrels adjusted, and debts paid through its agency.

I have heard many traveled Americans declaim violently against the foreign police system and visit it with maledictions. I may be expected to follow their example and indulge in complaints, but I can not do so, as I have no complaint to make. In a year's travel in despotic countries of Europe I never suffered the least detention at the hands of those terrible pests of society! I carried a passport properly indorsed, surrendered it to those authorized to receive it, paid whatever fees were demanded

Kazan is famous throughout Russia for the extent and variety of its manufactures. Russians and Tartars are alike engaged in them, and the products of their industry bear a good reputation. The city has printing establishments on an extensive scale, one of them devoted to Tartar literature. Several editions of the Koran have been printed here for the faith--none of them exorbitant-and went about ful in Northern and Central Asia.

The university of Kazan is one of the most celebrated institutions of learning in Russia, and has an excellent board of professors. Special attention is devoted to Asiatic languages and literature, but no other branch of knowledge is neglected. I met the professor of Persian literature, and found him speaking English and French fluently. I was invited to look through the museum and cabinet attached to the uni

my business sans peur et sans reproche. I have to thank the police of most European cities for a feeling of security not enjoyed to an equal extent in London or New York. I think my countrymen who have visited Paris, Vienna, or St. Petersburg will agree with me that these cities are safer to a pedestrian at night than the commercial capitals of England and America.

Almost every body has heard of the secret police of Russia, and many questions have been

If my

frankly, but never volunteered it. I believe the Golden Rule a good one for a traveler. We Americans would think it very rude for a foreigner to come here and point out to us our faults. But for all that a great many of us visit Europe, and have no hesitation in telling the subjects of the various monarchies a variety of impolite truths.

asked me about it. I can not throw much light | I would have spoken in New York. upon it, and if I could it would not be a secret opinion was asked upon any point I gave it police. I never knowingly came in contact with the shadow, neither did I have the slightest reason to fear it. If my letters were opened and read, those familiar with my manuscript will agree that the police had a hard time of it. If any body dogged my steps or drew me into conversation to report my opinions at the bureau secret, I never knew it. The servants who brought my cutlets and tea, the woman who washed my linen, or the dvornik who guarded the door, may have been spies upon me, but if so I didn't see it. Where ignorance is bliss

'tis folly to be wise.

People talk politics in Russia with apparent freedom, more so than I expected to find. Men and women expressed their opinions with candor (as I believe), and criticised what they saw wrong in their government. The Russian journals possess more freedom than those of Paris, and the theatres can play pretty nearly what they like. Official tyranny or dishonesty can be shown up by the press or satirized on the stage more freely and safely than in the country of Napoleon III., with all its boasted freedom.

I once read a story in which an Englishman in Austria is represented saying to his companion, "No gentleman meddles with the polities of the countries he visits." I made it my rule in Russia never to start the subject of politics in conversation with any body. Very often it was started, and I then spoke as freely as

During the reign of Nicholas the secret police was much more extensive than at present. The occurrences of 1825 and subsequent years led to a close surveillance of men in all stations of life. It was said, under Nicholas, that when three men were assembled one was a spy, and another might be. Doubtless the espionage was rigid; but I never heard that it affected those who said or did nothing objectionable. Under Alexander II. the stability of the throne hardly requires the aid of a detective force, and if what I was told be true, it receives very little.

The police have a standing order to arrest any person who speaks to the Emperor in the promenade at the Public Garden. One day Nicholas recognized in the crowd a favorite comedian, and accosted him with a few words of encouragement. The latter thanked his Majesty for his approval, and the two separated. A stupid policeman arrested the actor, and hurried him to prison on the charge of violating the law.

66

"But the Emperor spoke to me first," was the apology.

"No matter," replied the policeman, "you | mon tongue. I brushed up all the Russian I spoke to the Emperor, and must be arrested." had learned, and compelled it to perform very At the theatre that evening Nicholas was in active service. Before our companionship endthe Imperial box utterly ignorant of what had ed I was astonished to find what an extensive occurred to his favorite. The performance was business of conversation could be conducted delayed, the audience impatient, manager fran- with a limited capital of words. tic, and the Emperor finally sent to know the cause of the curtain remaining down. The actor did not come, and after waiting some time his Majesty went home. Next morning the prisoner was released, and during the day the Emperor learned what had occurred. Sending for the victim of police stupidity, he asked what reparation could be made for his night in prison.

Our communications were fragmentary and sometimes obscure, but we rarely became "hopelessly stuck." When my knowledge of spoken words failed I had recourse to a 66 Manual of Russian-English conversation," in which there were phrases on all sorts of topics. Examining the book at leisure one would think it abundantly fertile; but when I desired a particular phrase it was rarely to be found. As a last resource we tried Latin, but I could not remember a hundred words out of all my classics.

A regular thaw had set in, and the streets were in a condition of "slosh" that reminded me of Broadway in spring time. When we left the hotel a crowd of attendants gathered to be remembered pecuniarily. The yemshick tied his horses' tails in the tightest of knots to prevent their filling with snow and water. At the eastern gate we found a jam of sleds and sleighs, where we stuck for nearly half an hour, despite the efforts of the soldier-policemen. When

able to proceed, we traversed a high causeway spanning the Kazanka valley, and emerged into a suburb containing a large foundry. A mosque and a church, side by side, symbolized the harmony between Tartar and Russian.

Passing this suburb we reached the winter station of many steamboats and barges, among which we threaded our way. Seven versts from Kazan we reached the bank of the Volga.

The first view of the road upon the river was not inviting. There were many pools of surface water, and the continuous travel had worn deep hollows in the snow and ice. Some of the pools into which our yemshick drove appeared about as safe as a mill-pond in August; but as the fellow ought to know the route I said nothing, and let him have his own way. We met a great many sleds carrying merchandise, and passed a train going in our direction. One driver carelessly riding on his load was rolled overboard, and fell sidewise into a deep mass of snow and water. He uttered an imprecation, and rose dripping like a boiled cabbage when lifted from a dinnerpot.

We headed obliquely across

its success induced many Russians to follow its example, so that the business is now overdone.

Here, as on the Siberian rivers, the custom prevails of carrying freight in barges which are towed by tugs. Among the steamers I saw I did not find a single stern-wheeler.

the river toward a dozen tow-boats frozen in the | duce steam on the Volga was an English one; ice. The navigation of the Volga employs more than four hundred steamers, three-fourths of which are tows. Dead-walls in Kazan frequently displayed flaming announcements that reminded me of St. Louis and New Orleans. The companies run a sharp rivalry in freight and passenger traffic, their season lasting from April to October. The gross receipts for 1866 of one company owning thirty-four boats was 1,253,000 rables. This, after deducting running expenses, would not leave a large amount of profit. The surplus, in the case of that company, was to be applied to paying debts. "Not a copeck," said my informant, "will the stockholders receive in the shape of dividends." I did not obtain any full and clear information tonching the navigation of the Volga. The steamboats run from Tver, on the Moscow and St. Petersburg Railway, to Astrachan, at the mouth of the river. The best part of their business is the transport of goods and passengers (chiefly the former) to the fair at Nijne Novgorod. The river is full of shifting sandbars, and the channel is very tortuous, especially at low-water. The first company to intro

We changed horses on the south bank of the Volga, only twelve versts from Kazan. The right bank of the river presents an unbroken line of hills or bluffs, while the opposite one is generally low. The summer road from Kazan westward follows the high ground in the vicinity of the river, but often several versts away. The winter road is over the ice of the Volga, keeping generally pretty near the bank. A double line of pine or other boughs set in the ice marks the route. The boughs are placed by the Administration of Roads, under whose supervision the way is daily examined and maintained. No one is allowed to travel on the ice until the officials declare it safe.

Night came upon us soon after passing the first station, so that I had little opportunity to study Volga scenery. The road was a combination of pitch-holes, water, soft snow, and