tiers the many hundreds of cannon
which the Russians took from Napoleon I. It is impossible in this brief
diary to deal with the splendours of the Kremlin. Nothing I have ever
seen in Europe, Asia, Africa or America, can in any way compare with its
semi-barbaric magnificence.

The ball-room in the new palace is of immense size and of most majestic
proportions, the walls being entirely of mirrors and gold gilt, and the
floor richly inlaid with many kinds of beautiful woods. Columns built of
malachite, crystal, and precious stones. Stairways of marble and jade,
while countless ornaments of pure gold adorned the various apartments.
The old palace, which adjoins the new, is smaller, less magnificent,
being of cloister like build, but intensely interesting. Here I saw the
bedroom and the bed in which Napoleon slept for a few nights before
Moscow was laid in ashes by her own inhabitants, and the French invaders
driven out to die like flies in the snow.

In the afternoon I visited several beautiful churches, a museum, and an
exhibition of Verestchagin's famous war pictures.

On the _21st October_ I returned to the Kremlin and visited its
churches, which are stored with priceless icons, golden vessels,
gem-studded crucifixes, and silken vestures stiff with gold and precious
stones. In striking contrast to such wealth, some of the chapels had
dirty, uneven brick floors, and were horribly dark. Afterwards I passed
through the Treasury, until I was weary of looking on diamond-studied
saddles, bejewelled swords and guns, thrones, crowns, the regalia and
coronation robes of all the Russian Czars, etc., etc. Altogether the
wealth of the Kremlin must represent scores of millions of pounds in
value.

The bazaars of Moscow are far-famed, though more so in Asia than in
Europe. I passed through the newest and largest. It struck me as being
more extensive than the Crystal Palace, though not so lofty, and I was
told that it contained under its roof a thousand shops of the best
class.

At 10 p.m. that night I left the hotel in pouring rain and drove to the
station, where I was soon on board the trans-Siberian express, which
started at 11 p.m. In my coupe were two Russian Officers and a
Japanese--all hurrying eastward in anticipation of a Russo-Japanese war.
The most interesting part of my journey now commenced. I was about to go
where but comparatively few Englishmen have ever been, and to pass
through a region chiefly known to the ci