Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia

This then was the interesting work which I was permitted to examine.

I had requested to see a state prison ; my request was met by a permission to sec the floodgates.

The minister of Avar ended his note Ъу informing me that the aide-de-camp, general director of the roads of the empire, had received orders to give me every facility for making this journey.

Facility! Good heavens! to what trouble had my curiosity exposed me, and what a lesson of discretion had they given me, by the exhibition of so much ceremony, qualified by so much politeness! Not to avail myself of the permission, when orders had been sent respecting me throughout the route, would have been to incur the charge of ingratitude ; yet to examine the sluices with Russian minuteness, without even seeing the castle of Schlusselburg, was to fall with my eyes open into the snare and to lose a day ; a serious loss, at this already advanced season, if I am to see all that I purpose seeing in Russia, without altogether passing the winter there.

I state facts. The reader can draw the conclusions. They have not here yet ventured to speak freely of the iniquities of the reign of Elizabeth. Any thing that might lead to reflection on the nature of the legitimacy of the present power passes for an impiety. It was therefore necessary to represent my request to the emperor. He would neither grant it nor directly refuse it; he therefore modified it, and granted me permission to admire a wonder of industry which 1 had no intention of seeing. From the emperor, this permission was forwarded to the minister, from the minister to the director-general, from the director-general to a chief i 2