t probable that, as the procession would pass
this place, there would be some uncommon occurrence taking place before
it, so I took my situation directly opposite, determined, at any rate, to
secure a good view of what happened.

"I waited four or five hours, during which time the people began to
collect from all quarters; the carriages began to thicken, the windows
and fronts of the houses began to be decorated with the white flag, white
ribbons, and laurel. Temporary seats were fitted up on all sides, which
began to be filled, and all seemed to be in preparation. About this time
the King's splendid band of music made its appearance, consisting, I
suppose, of more than fifty musicians, and, to my great gratification,
placed themselves directly before the hotel. They began to play, and soon
after the grand duchess, attended by several Russian noblemen, made her
appearance on the balcony, followed by the Queen of England, the Princess
Charlotte of Wales, the Princess Mary, Princess Elizabeth, and all the
female part of the royal family. From this fortunate circumstance you
will see that I had an excellent opportunity of observing their persons
and countenances.

"The Duchess of Oldenburg is a common-sized woman of about four or five
and twenty; she has rather a pleasant countenance, blue eyes, pale
complexion, regular features, her cheek-bones high, but not disagreeably
so. She resembles very much her brother the Emperor, judging from his
portrait. She had with her her little nephew, Prince Alexander, a boy of
about three or four years old. He was a lively little fellow, playing
about, and was the principal object of the attention of the royal family.

"The Queen, if I was truly directed to her, is an old woman of very
sallow complexion, and nothing agreeable either in her countenance or
deportment; and, if she was not called a queen, she might as well be any
ugly old woman. The Princess Charlotte of Wales I thought pretty; she has
small features, regular, pale complexion, great amiability of expression
and condescension of manners; the Princess Elizabeth is extremely
corpulent, and, from what I could see of her face, was agreeable though
nothing remarkable.

"One of the others, I think it was the Princess Mary, appeared to have
considerable vivacity in her manners; she was without any covering to her
head, her hair was sandy, which she wore cropped; her complexion was
probably fair originally, but was rather red now;