AUDIENCE WITH THE PRINCE OP PRUSSIA. 155 



I called at Peterhof, where the prince had taken up 

 his residence, on his first adjutant Count Goltz, ex- 

 plained to him my difficult situation, and begged that 

 the prince would when convenient give me an audience, 

 so that the Eussian officials might see that I enjoyed 

 his protection. In his great goodness of heart and 

 affability the prince acceded to my request, and on 

 the very next day I received the official summons of 

 the Prussian embassy to repair to an audience at the 

 Winter Palace. 



I was awaited by the ambassador, and conducted 

 through a series of ante-rooms, filled with generals and 

 officials of high standing, to the prince, who was sur- 

 rounded by several Grand Dukes and highest digni- 

 taries. The prince addressed a few very friendly words 

 to ine^ mainly to the effect that the posts of the tele- 

 graph line we had constructed along the whole way 

 from the Prussian frontier to St. Petersburg had given 

 him the joyful assurance of remaining in constant con- 

 nection with home, and that he desired to express to 

 me his thanks in person. The result of this audience 

 was more brilliant than I had expected. On the very 

 same day a police official came and handed me my 

 passport with excuses for the over- sight that had 

 been committed. - 



The Russian Government had simultaneously with 

 the contracts for the construction of the lines also 

 concluded remount - agreements with us for six to 

 twelve years , which required a large administrative 

 apparatus. We therefore converted our St. Petersburg 



