MOSCOW 36 



I afterwards took a long drive past the historic 

 fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul. Here lie interred 

 the remains of the Czars and Czaritsas of Russia 

 from Peter the Great to the father of his present 

 Majesty. The fortress also contains the mint and 

 serves as a prison for poiitical offenders. 



The view along the embankment is most attrac- 

 tive. It is lined with palaces, stately mansions, and 

 Government buildings, the continuity being broken 

 here and there by spacious squares and parks. The 

 ice is railed off in places for skating. Electric trams 

 run across the ice, and here and there men were at 

 work removing huge blocks for the ice -cellars of 

 the inhabitants. These blocks are usually six to 

 eight cubic feet in size. 



My business being farther afield, I was not able 

 to spend very much time in this fascinating capital, 

 which the inhabitants affectionately term the northern 

 Palmyra'. | ' _ j • 



A few business calls completed my visit, and 

 having been joined by an English friend bound, like 

 myself, for Siberia, I took a drosky and set out for 

 the railway station. The train accommodation was 

 excellent, but although we offered to make it worth 

 the " conductor's " while to let us have a compart- 

 ment to ourselves, our blandishments proved all 

 unavailing. The north of Russia is rich in forests, 

 and as we looked through the windows of the carriage 

 they presented a noble sight. The journey, which 

 took us through forests and over lovely frost-bound 

 country, occupied about thirteen hours. 



We arrived in Moscow at 9 a.m., having left St. 

 Petersburg at 8 p.m. the previous evening. The 

 400 miles had been done in a little over thirty 

 miles an hour by the express which forms the 

 through connection with the Siberian express train, 

 leaving Moscow for Siberia the same afternoon at 



