A stranger has no occasion, however, to go to the parade, if his object is merely to see the emperor, who may be met with on foot, on horseback, or in a droshky, in all parts of St. Petersburg, and at every hour of the day. There is no other monarch who appears to have so much business to do in the streets as the successor of Peter the Great. There are public institutions to be inspected, the offices of the different departments of government to be visited, reviews to be held, national festivals at which he is expected to attend, new buildings to be superintended, not to speak of the many private visits paid to those whom he is disposed to honour with so high a mark of favour.
Wherever the emperor appears in pubhc, he does so in the most simple and unpretending manner that can be imagined. His usual vehicle, when driving through the streets of his capital, is a sledge or a droshky, drawn by a single horse ; and when travelling, his telegue is a rude carriage, little better than those used by the serfs. This is the more remarkable, as in other respects the Russian court is one of greater pomp and magnificence than any other in Europe. Yet I doubt whether the pettiest of all the petty princes of Germany would not think himself affronted, if he were invited to take liis place in such a small plain, droshky, as the Emperor of all the Russias daily makes use of. This is not, however, a custom peculiar to the present emperor ; it was adopted by Peter the Great, and has been followed by all his successors.
The superintendence of the street-population of St. Petersburg is entrusted to a class of men called butsJuiiks, a name for which they are indebted to the butki, or boxes, in which they are stationed night and day. These little wooden boxes are to be seen at every corner, and to each box three butshniks are assigned, who have their beds there, their kitchen, and a complete domestic establishment. One of them, wrapped up in a grey cloak faced with red, and armed with a halbert, stands sentinel outside, while another attends to the culinary department, and a third holds himself ready to carry orders, or to convey to the Slash, or police-office, the unfortunates whom his comrade may have thought it his duty to arrest. Each butshnik has a small whistle, by means of which he conveys a signal to the next post, if a fugitive is to be given chase to. The quartalniks are a superior kind of police-officers, and these and the pohcemasters are constantly going their rounds, to see that the butshniks are not neglectful of their duty. By these means, excellent order is always maintained, and in no other capital of Europe are riotous or ofFensive scenes of less frequent occurrence. At night, in addition to the daypolice, small detachments of mounted gens-d'armes parade the streets.