"That is on the Town Hall, in which the business of the city is transacted. It is a watch-tower, and those poles upon it are for the purpose of hoisting signals, to indicate the location of a fire. Men are on the watch on that tower at all times of day and night. The street opposite is St. Michael Place, in which the Hôtel de Russie, commonly called Klée's Hotel, is situated. Next to the tower is one of the street chapels, which you will see in every Russian city. It is a church in miniature, erected by the contributions of the people in the bazaar. You see within it pictures of the saints, with lights burning before them. There is generally a priest on duty there, and you perceive that many people enter, or pause in front of the door, and salute the representatives of the holy persons." "Yes, and even on the other side of the street," added Lincoln, who had been observing the devotions of the Russians. Men paused on the sidewalk of the crowded avenue, knelt, crossed themselves many times, and bowed low, with their faces towards the chapel. The poorer and the more humble the individual, the lower he bowed, and the more earnest were his devotions. The drive in the omnibuses was continued for a couple of hours longer, until the students had seen the principal streets of the city and the public buildings. Finally, the line stopped at the Taurida Palace, a long, low building, near the Neva, at the eastern extremity of the city. It was built by Catharine II., and presented to her favorite Potemkin, who conquered the Crimea, the Russian name of which is Taurida. The party entered the great ball-room, which is about all that is shown of the palace, for it is occupied by the superannuated ladies of honor of the court. It is an enormous apartment, the ceiling supported by columns covered with plaster. In this hall Potemkin gave balls in honor of his imperial mistress, when it was lighted by twenty thousand wax candles. On the columns were hoops to contain candles, for the room is occasionally used at the present time for balls and feasts. At one end was a full-rigged brig, of miniature proportions, formerly in the water, but now set in the floor, and used for the amusement of the royal children. The party had entered this room, which certainly had the appearance of "some banquet hall deserted," for a purpose, and the students were collected around the little brig, upon the deck of which, as a rostrum, Mr. Mapps took his place.