the garden, ranging us in line and reading our names from a
list, to see if we were truly mustered, after which a side door opened
and the Emperor Alexander entered. His majesty was dressed in military
costume, a blue sash was across his breast passing over the right
shoulder; on his left breast were stars and orders. He commenced at the
head of the column, which consisted of some fourteen or fifteen persons,
and, on the mention of the name by the master of ceremonies, he addressed
a few words to each. To Mr. Colt he said: 'Ah! I have seen you before.
When did you arrive? I am glad to see you.' When he came to me the master
of ceremonies miscalled my name as Mr. More. I instantly corrected him
and said, 'No, Mr. Morse.' The emperor at once said: 'Ah! that name is
well known here; your system of Telegraph is in use in Russia. How long
have you been in St. Petersburg? I hope you have enjoyed yourself.' To
which I appropriately replied. After a few more unimportant questions and
answers the emperor addressed himself to the other gentlemen and retired.

"After remaining a few moments, the master of ceremonies, who, by the by,
apologized to me for miscalling my name, opened the door from the veranda
into the empress' drawing-room, where we were again put in line to await
the appearance of the empress. The doors of an adjoining room were
suddenly thrown open and the empress, gorgeously but appropriately
attired, advanced towards us. She was dressed in a beautiful blue silk
terminating in a long flowing train of many flounces of the richest lace;
upon her head a crown of diamonds, upon her neck a superb necklace of
diamonds, some twenty of which were as large as the first joint of the
finger. The upper part of her dress was embroidered with diamonds in a
broad band, and the dress in front buttoned to the floor with rosettes of
diamonds, the central diamond of each button being at least a half inch
in diameter. A splendid bouquet of diamonds and precious stones of every
variety of color, arranged to imitate flowers, was upon her bosom. She
addressed a few words gracefully to each, necessarily commonplace, for
what could she say to strangers but the common words of enquiry--when we
came and whether we had been pleased with St. Petersburg.

"Gratifying as it was to us to see her, I could not but think it was
hardly possible for her to have any other gratification in seeing us than
that which I have no doubt she felt, that she was