RUSSIA.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 116, 22 February 1872, Page 3

RUSSIA.

The Russian army are all big men. 1 In y drink large quantities of oil. Bel urn r. march if a Russian soldier smells of spirits he is ordered to step out of the ranks, and is forced back. Russian, like all heavy troops, are best on the defensive. Hie Russian military engineers are, and always have been, eminently skilful. . The Czar favours Prussia, but the Russian people favour France. The Russian Greek Church is somewhat similar to the Roman Catholic Church, but in Russia the priest says “Mass” with his back to the altar. The temporal head is the Czar, the spiritual head is the chief Patriarch : there are Masses in Russiaas in the Catholic religion, but the Russian priestscau be married men. The Russian peasant is a very ignorant man. He is a great believer in “ the Saints.” He will not even smoke at home, for fear the fumes would sully the pictures of the Saints, any person—man or woman—can be, without a moment’s warning or accusation, sent for life to be exiles in the mines of Siberia, which at present contains thousands of noble ladies and gentlemen, as well as merchants aud peasants, all treated

in the same way as indistinguishable con" victs. Without leave from the Czar no citizen can leave the country. We know something about Spanish, German, Italian, French, and Swiss women. Mr D. D. Home, the spiritualist, is married to a lady, a daughter of a Russian diplomatist. Russia is a great patron of singers and actors. Ira Aldridge, coloured tragedian and a good actor, could always get the most exalted patronage in Russia, although he acted in English, whereas in England he could only get. occasional audiences. Singers have netted enormous fortunes in Russia.— American Paper.