e Jews of Wilna determined to give a most hearty welcome to Sir
Moses and Lady Montefiore.

The Spiritual Head of the community, all the members of his
Ecclesiastical Court, the representatives of all the educational,
industrial and charitable institutions, and all the officers connected
with them, came to meet Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore at a place
called Krisanke (Krigeanki), seventeen versts from Wilna. A deputation
from among them proceeded five versts further. On meeting us they
presented Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore with a poem written in the
purest Biblical Hebrew, which was gratefully acknowledged by Sir
Moses. They then left in great haste to apprise their colleagues of
our approach.

On our arrival at Krisanke we found all the members of the Committee
of Welcome drawn up in a line. As the carriage stopped, the Spiritual
Head of the community, accompanied by the representatives of the
various institutions, approached Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, and
delivered an address to them, which Sir Moses answered in his own name
and that of Lady Montefiore. They were then requested to alight and
enter a room, most tastefully decorated for the occasion, and where an
excellent breakfast awaited them.

We left Krisanke and directed our course towards Wilna. For the whole
distance of seventeen versts the fields to the right and left of the
road were crowded by people, who shouted in Hebrew, "Blessed be those
who come in the name of the Lord;" and when, on approaching the
carriage of Sir Moses, they beheld the Hebrew word "Jerusalem" on the
banner attached to the supporters of his coat of arms, joy filled
their hearts, and they showered innumerable blessings on the heads of
its occupants.

We arrived safely at the house of Mr Isaac A. L. Setil, which had been
specially prepared for our reception, and there met three gentlemen of
the Hebrew community waiting to receive Sir Moses' orders.

A comfortable night's rest made both Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore
soon forget the discomforts which they had to endure on the road from
St Petersburg.

I now give Sir Moses' own words, as entered in the diary.

"_Wilna, April 30th._--I took my letter of introduction
to the Governor, and he received me instantly. Dr Loewe
accompanied me. The Governor was extremely polite, and
spoke much of the Jews. He attributed their present
unhappy state to great poverty, but could not suggest
any other remedy than colonisation;