JOURNEY FROM ST. PETERSBURG. 



/S 



At the extremity of tins noble street, but still in sight 

 of the spire of the Admiralty, is the St. Petersburg terminus 

 of the Moscow railway, whither the traveller may come 

 from the Alexandra Sad by tramway car. Punctually the 

 train starts ; and on the instant numeious hands are in 

 movement, making three times upon the breasts the sign 

 of the cross the symbol of prayer for a safe conduct a 

 rite which may have been observed in the tramway car 

 when the Kazan Church, or any other church, was passed ; 

 and which may be seen again whenever the train passes 

 within sight of a church. In this particular a great difference 

 may be observed in the departure of a train by the Finnish 

 line, and even the departure of a train by the Warsaw 

 line. In Finland the people are Protestants, and during 

 the summer months many of the passengers in first and 

 second class carriages are Jews or Germans, going to or 

 from their summer lodgings. The Warsaw line conveys 

 passengers not only to Poland, but to the whole of Western 

 Europe. But the Moscow line conveys passengers to all 

 parts of the interior of Russia, and the great bulk of the 

 passengers are Russian ; and this is a Russian usage, a 

 usage of which comparatively few Russians are ashamed, 

 and I honour their observance of it, 



The train having started, there comes the conductor and 

 two subordinates to check the tickets of the passengers. 

 The carriages are similar to those used in America the 

 entrances are at the two ends, passing, in many cases, a 

 water-closet for the use of passengers while travelling ; 

 and being connected with couplings covered by a bridge, 

 the guards and the passengers alike can freely pass from 

 one carriage to another, and the former from end to end 

 of the train, which they do from time to time, giving to 

 timid passengers a feeling of protection, which such may 

 desiderate in Britain. The uniform of the conductor and 

 guards, as on other lines of railway in Russia, is national, 

 On this line it consists of a hat of Astrakhan black wool, 

 a surtout buttoned to the neck, bound round the waist 



