Thursday, January 16, 1840

1840

January

Thursday 16

8 20/..

11 5/..

Fine morning; Réaumur 3° at 8 a.m. outside.  

Just after I was up, civil note from Miss Scorsgall, Countess Alexandra Panin’s governess, with a letter of introduction from Countess Wera Panning to the Archimandrite (Abbot) of Troitza, the countess, on Miss Scorsgall’s mentioning to her our going, thinking we had better have a letter – Civil note of thanks back by the servant to ‘Miss Scorsgall’ sent off immediately before I dressed or washed –

Breakfast at 9 50/.. in about 1/2 hour – Exchanged a few things in my travelling bag – Put up my writing (blotting) book and this journal – and Ann and I each took our portmanteau to place the mattress seat on, and sent all down to the Kibitka (our covered sledge, Panin-bought journey kibitka), Mrs. Howard having a couple of 1/2 gelinotes, and a little butter and a roll of bread and Ann added 3 or 4 of our little breakfast buns –

Wrote note to Princess Radzivill and gave it to Gross to take as soon as we were off – to Madame La Princesse Radziwill’ and went downstairs all ready, as I supposed, at 12 – No! The box Jackson had fixed (nail and screwed) on in front, obliged to be taken off, or the man George Tchaikin and the coachman could not sit – This job took us 1/2 hour –

Off at 12 1/2, Ann and I inside with our chelats (Cossack sheepskin lined sleeve-cloaks), portmanteaus, my great bag, our provision basket and box of tea things and little spirit of wine lamp boiler and 2 of Mrs. Howard’s bed-pillows – George and the coachman in front – Ann in her black silk gown and I in my merinos, and, thinking our letter to the Archimandrite entailed something, in our promenade bonnets, black velvet and Ann’s green fashionable velvet – Well we took our black satin pink-lined wadded travelling and night-visiting bonnets that Countess Alexandra Panin bought us – for the others were soon hung up in the Kibitka – Not the better for it, and we never put them on –

At 1st I felt smothered in our little machine – Opened my little window, and shut and opened again from time to time to peep out as well as for air – Nothing of country to be seen – At last settled better – Began to think what little alterations should be made, and journeyed on – Very fine day – and we quite warm enough by dint of cloaks and being so covered in –

Off at 12 1/2 – At (passed through) Poushkino Selo at 3 – A good town-village – The manufacture seemed to be a good 3 story high (I think) brick building at a little distance left from our road – Thought I, as we slid along the hardened snow with a motion and noise most like that of being near the Engine in a steam-boat, Gentlemen travel in Russia because they must, and ladies when they must –

Very little snow about (near) Moscow – More farther on, – At and after Pouchkine – (pronounced Poush-kine) –

Russia abounds in churches but wants roads and oral courts of justice – Fine day, but from about 2 1/2 p.m., a little haily, small snow driving against our off window –

Fine forest, pine forest all along at a little distance and several villages before Pouchkine and after –

At 3 40/.. stop 1/2 way at a village auberge to change horses – The man had none – A humbug this – It was never intended to change horses – but our middle horse (3 horses) had lost a hind shoe and went lame and ill – No blacksmith in the village – the poor animal obliged to hobble on – The whole distance 65 versts –

2 20/.. hour reading a little – in and out, and amusing ourselves as we could in the little hot room –

En route again at 6, and alighted at Troitza at 9 25/..  Large house just outside the monastery (Kreml they call this fortified monkery) – Received by the monk who lives here – Manages the Inn and receives strangers – Shewn into anteroom, an entresol the rez de chaussée with a premier (or bel étage as called in Russia) above it and then the roof –

Ordered up the semovar, having all else we wanted – And we had enjoyed our tea and all was over at 10 3/4.  We had each eaten 1/2 a gelinotte (partridge) just after getting into the kibitka and before driving off from Pouschkine –

Each took off gown and Ann put on her flannel dressing and I my flannel waistcoat and lay down at 11 5/.. on our mattresses – bedstock, and a small thin on each – Nothing else – Threw our Cossack cloaks (chelats) over us –

Fine day; Réaumur 4° in the kibitka, and + 13 1/2° in our room –

 

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/23/0180