During the next twelve hours we had the general appearance, somehow, of being at a funeral, where every body was sorry the death had occurred, but glad it was over--where every body was smiling, and yet broken-hearted.
A committee went ashore to wait on his Excellency the Governor-General, and learn our fate.

At the end of three hours of boding suspense, they came back and said the Emperor would receive us at noon the next day -- would send carriages for us--would hear the address in person.

The Grand Duke Michael had sent to invite us to his palace also.

Any man could see that there was an intention here to show that Russia's friendship for America was so genuine as to render even her private citizens objects worthy of kindly attentions.
At the appointed hour we drove out three miles, and assembled in the handsome garden in front of the Emperor's palace.
We formed a circle under the trees before the door, for there was no one room in the house able to accommodate our three-score persons comfortably, and in a few minutes the imperial family came out bowing and smiling, and stood in our midst.

A number of great dignitaries of the Empire, in undress unit forms, came with them.