st way.
Most travellers read too much.

"There are learned institutions in St. Petersburg: universities,
libraries, picture-galleries, and museums; but the first institution
with which I became acquainted was the drosky. The drosky is a very,
very small phaeton. It has the driver's seat in front, and a very narrow
seat behind him. One person can have room enough on this second seat,
but it usually carries two. Invariably the drosky is lined with
dark-blue cloth, and the drosky-driver wears a dark-blue wrapper, coming
to the feet, girded around the waist by a crimson sash. He also wears a
bell-shaped hat, turned up at the side. You are a little in doubt, if
you see him at first separated from his drosky, whether he is a
market-woman or a serving-man, the dress being very much like a morning
wrapper. But he is rarely six feet away from his carriage, and usually
he is upon it, sound asleep!

"The trunks having gone to St. Petersburg in advance of ourselves, our
first duty was to get possession of them. They were at the custom-house,
across the city. My nephew and I jumped upon a drosky--we could not say
that we were really _in_ the drosky, for the seat was too short. The
drosky-driver started off his horse over the cobble-stones at a terrible
rate. I could not keep my seat, and I clung to W. He shouted, 'Don't
hold by me; I shall be out the next minute!' What could be done? I was
sure I shouldn't stay on half a minute. Blessings on the red sash of the
drosky-man--I caught at that! He drove faster and faster, and I clung
tighter and tighter, but alarmed at two immense dangers: first, that I
should stop his breath by dragging the girdle so tightly; and, next,
that when it became unendurable to him, he would loosen it in front.

"I could not perceive that he was aware of my existence at all! He had
only one object in life,--to carry us across the city to our place of
destination, and to get his copecks in return.

"In a few days I learned to like the jolly vehicles very much. They are
so numerous that you may pick one up on any street, whenever you are
tired of walking.

"My principal object in visiting St. Petersburg was the astronomical
observatory at Pulkova, some twelve miles distant.

"I had letters to the director, Otto von Struve, but our consul declared
that I must also have one from him, for Struve was a very great man. I,
of course, accepted it.

"We made the journey by rail and coach, but it would be better