eath her notice, and she
contemplated her dress with infinite complacency, as a pattern of
princely magnificence. In these splendid habiliments, with a parasol in
her hand, slowly and with difficulty, she climbed the ship's stairs, on
which, with some of my officers, I was in waiting to receive her; on
the highest step she endeavoured already to give us a proof of her
acquaintance with our customs, by making a courtesy, which was intended
to accord with the most approved rules of the art of dancing, though the
feet, not perfectly tutored in their parts, performed in rather a comic
style. In attempting this feat, she lost her balance, and would have
fallen into the water, if a couple of strong sailors had not caught her
illustrious person in their arms.

She was much delighted with all that she saw on board, especially with
my cabin, where the sofa paid dearly for the honour of her
approbation,--she sat upon it, and broke it down. The portrait of the
Emperor Alexander attracted her particular attention; she sat down
opposite to it upon the floor, where she could cause no farther
destruction, and said, after gazing upon it for some minutes with much
interest, "Maitai, Yeri nue Rukkini!" (the great Governor of the
Russians is beautiful!) She told me, that she knew a great deal about
Russia. A Sandwich Islander, named Lauri, who, in 1819, had made the
voyage thither, in the Russian ship Kamtschatka, with Captain Golowin,
and had afterwards returned to his own country, had told her many things
concerning Petersburg and the Emperor. She said she would have liked to
make the voyage herself, but that Lauri's fearful description of the
cold had terrified her. He had told her, that it was necessary to
envelope the body entirely in fur, and that even this would not obviate
all danger of losing the nose and ears; that the cold changed the water
into a solid substance, resembling glass in appearance, but of so much
strength that it was used for a high road, people passing over it in
huge chests drawn by horses, without breaking it; that the houses were
as high as mountains, and so large, that he had walked three days in one
of them without coming to the end of it. It was evident that Lauri had
stretched a little; but Nomahanna had no notion of incredulity. She
approved of our inventions for warming the inside of our houses, and
thought, that if she were at Petersburg, she would not go out at all
during the cold weather, but would dr