443 IX THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -I 



and there decided to do so, arid, on meeting my father, 

 announced my decision. 



On the 10th of December, 1853,1 sailed for England, with 

 Oilman, and in London awaited Governor Seymour, who, 

 at the last moment, had decided not to leave Washington 

 until the Senate had confirmed his nomination; but this 

 delay proved to be fortunate, for thereby opportunity was 

 afforded me to see some interesting men, and especially 

 Mr. Buchanan, who had previously been minister to Rus- 

 sia, was afterward President of the United States, and 

 was at that time minister at the court of St. James. He 

 was one of the two or three best talkers I have ever known, 

 and my first knowledge of his qualities in this respect was 

 gained at a great dinner given in his honor by Mr. George 

 Peabody, the banker. A day or two before, our minister 

 in Spain, Mr. Soule, and his son had each fought a duel, 

 one with the French ambassador, the Marquis de Turgot, 

 and the other with the Duke of Alba, on account of a 

 supposed want of courtesy to Mrs. Soule; and the con- 

 versation being directed somewhat by this event, I recall 

 Mr. Buchanan's reminiscences of duels which he had 

 known during his long public life as among the most in- 

 teresting I have ever heard on any subject. 



Shortly after the arrival of Governor Seymour, we went 

 on to Paris, and there, placing myself in the family of a 

 French professor, I remained, while the rest of the party 

 went on to St. Petersburg; my idea being to hear lectures 

 on history and kindred subjects, thus to fit myself by flu- 

 ency in French for service in the attacheship, and, by other 

 knowledge, for later duties. 



After staying in France for nearly a year, having re- 

 ceived an earnest request from Governor Seymour to 

 come on to Russia before the beginning of the winter, I 

 left Paris about the middle of October and went by way of 

 Berlin. In those 1 days there was no railroad lyeyond the 

 eastern frontier of Prussia, and, as the (Vimean \Var was 

 ironic on, there was a blockade in force which made it 

 impossible to enter Russia by sea; consequently I had 



