58 Report of a Journey Around the World. 



noptera sibbaldii) 31 m. long; skeleton of the extinct sea cow 

 {Rhytima gigas); remains of the mammoth and other extinct 

 animals including not only the skeletons but the hide and hairs 

 and even the flesh of the mammoth well preserved in the ice of 

 northern Siberia. The Botanical Museum contains the collections 

 of Steller, Pallas, Gmelin, Prjevalsky and other distinguished 

 explorers. 



The Ermitage, in many respects the finest art collection in 

 the world, and one of its strong points is the absence of poor or 

 mediocre works, was closed not only for the summer but for much- 

 needed repairs; but, thanks to the Hon. Curtis Guild, American 

 Minister to Russia, and to General Tolstoi, within whose province 

 this work belonged, we were not only permitted to enter, but the 

 gentlemen in charge, all of whom spoke French, showed us all 

 that could be seen, even opening the covered cases and calling 

 attention to matters we might easily have passed in the abundance 

 of objects of great interest. The Empress Catherine was early in 

 the field and had taste as well as money. The palace of Count 

 Stroganoff was another place where we were kindly permitted to 

 enter and examine, what I had for many years desired to see. the 

 Stroganoff Apollo. The Museum of Alexander III contained a 

 very attractive gallery of paintings which I would often visit were 

 I a resident of St. Petersburg. The collections at Tsarskoie-Selo 

 were another great enjoyment. Not less than the museums the 

 Russian churches attract the visitor, and in costly architecture, 

 gorgeous decoration, and impressive ceremonies of the Greek 

 Church, both at the capital and the more distinctly Russian city 

 Moskau, seemed to far surpass anything of the kind I have ever 

 seen of Rome's proudest pageants. 



From St. Petersburg to Moskau was a night's journey in very 

 comfortable sleepers. In the morning our impressions from the 

 station to our hotel were not agreeable, for we passed through a 

 poor part of the city, but we were not long in gaining other and 

 far pleasanter views of this fine and picturesque city. In our hotel 

 we were almost under the Kremlin, that wonderful aggregation of 

 churches with polychrome roofs and gilded domes filled with mat- 

 ters of interest from ikons to coffined Tzars. In the principal 

 church we heard mass performed bv the Archbishop of Moskau, 



f206] 



