often a thousand in number, in
their most brilliant uniform, the vanguard of the escort of the tzar.
They quietly pass through the vast apartment and disappear amidst the
recesses of the palace. Still the almost interminable throng,
glittering in gala dresses, press on. At length the grand master of
ceremonies makes his appearance announcing the approach of the emperor
and empress.

The royal pair immediately enter, and bow to the representatives of
other courts who may be present, and receive those who are honored
with a presentation. No one is permitted to speak to their majesties
but in reply to questions which they may ask. The Emperor Nicholas was
very stately and reserved in his manners, and said but little. The
empress, more affable, would present her ungloved hand to her guest,
who would receive it and press it with fervor to his lips.

The Emperor Nicholas, during his reign, was supposed to have some
ninety millions of the human family subject to his sway. With a
standing army of a million of men, two hundred thousand of whom were
cavalry, he possessed power unequaled by that of any other single
kingdom on the globe. In the recent struggle at Sevastopol all the
energies of England, France and Turkey were expended against Russia
alone, and yet it was long doubtful whose banners would be victorious.

It is estimated that the territory of Russia now comprises one seventh
of the habitable globe, extending from the Baltic Sea across the whole
breadth of Europe and of Asia to Behring's Straits, and from the
eternal ices of the north pole, almost down to the sunny shores of the
Mediterranean. As the previous narrative has shown, for many ages this
gigantic power has been steadily advancing towards Constantinople. The
Russian flag now girdles the Euxine Sea, and notwithstanding the
recent check at Sevastopol, Russia is pressing on with resistless
strides towards the possession of the Hellespont. A brief sketch of
the geography of those realms will give one a more vivid idea of the
nature of that conflict, which now, under the title of the eastern or
Turkish question, engrosses the attention of Europe.

The strait which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Sea of
Marmora was originally called the Hellespont, from the fabulous legend
of a young lady, named Helle, falling into it in attempting to escape
from a cruel mother-in-law. At the mouth of the Hellespont there are
four strong Turkish forts, two on the Europe