Northern Lands; Or, Young America in Russia and PrussiaOptic, Oliver
General
Northern Lands; Or, Young America in Russia and Prussia
Optic, Oliver
Prussia (Germany) -- Description and travel -- Juvenile fiction; Russia -- Description and travel -- Juvenile fiction
"I don't see that I can get anything else. Where is Mr. Blownynozeoff?"
continued Scott.
"Who is he?"
"Why, the Russian that rode with us."
This gentleman now appeared with the doctor, whom he had been assisting
to procure tickets for the steamer, and he was kind enough to order
breakfast for the whole party. It was good, and well served, with
nothing peculiar about it, except that the butter was in glass jars,
the inside of metal, and very dirty and cheesy. There were plenty of
droskies at the door, and three of them were taken for the ride to the
steamer.
"Go ahead, Switchemoff," said Scott, as he seated himself with Billy
Bobstay.
The Russian gentleman directed the drivers where to go, and they
started. Descending a gentle slope, the party came to the fair grounds;
but they were not to examine these till their return from Kazan.
The road was very dusty, and in wet weather the mud is very deep.
Crossing the Oka River on a bridge of boats, the travellers entered
what is properly the town, and soon reached the point on the river
where the steamers lay. There were several of them at the quay, and
it was difficult to determine which was the right one, since neither
the doctor nor the students could read her name on the ticket or on
the boat. But the card was shown to a man, who pointed to the right
steamer, and they went on board of her. As in other parts of Europe,
porters always stand ready--too ready, sometimes--to carry the
travellers' baggage, and one who cannot speak the language has only to
show his ticket to one of them, and he will be conducted to the right
place.
The party, having first-class tickets, hastened aft to where the best
cabin is usually located, and went below. The accommodations were
not elegant, certainly. There were no berths, only divans around the
apartment, which the students made haste to secure, by placing their
bags upon them. Having performed this necessary duty, they returned to
the deck to examine the steamer, and see the strange sights. The craft
was rather odd in shape, her bow and stern being depressed more than
the part amidships, so that the deck sloped down, going forward or aft.
The "bridge" is a platform between the paddle-boxes, of considerable
size, which only first-class passengers are permitted to occupy. Upon
it is the steering-wheel, which is about six feet high.
"See here! How's this?" said Scott, as he led the way forward. "What
is this coop for?"
It was a house on deck, containing a stairway, and a small room with
a table in it. The apartment was handsomely furnished, and was even
luxurious compared with the after cabin.
"Let us go in, and see," replied Billy Bobstay; and they entered.
Descending the stairs, they came to a cabin in the forward part of
the vessel, with a broad divan around it, like the other, but covered
with drab cloth. It was very neatly furnished, and provided with every
convenience except berths.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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