Richard Wilbraham, Travels in the Trans-Caucasian provinces of Russia (1839) - Part 3

After crossing the Caucasus mountains on 10 September (see part 2), Captain Richard Wilbraham spent next several days traveling across Kabarda before returning back to Tiflis in order to be present at the forthcoming visit of Emperor Nicholas.  He reached the Georgian capital on 25 September.

Prince Alexander Suvorov in 1850

September 26th. After breakfast I mounted one of my horses, which had quite picked up their condition during my absence, and cantered into town. Souvoroff - [Prince Alexander Suvorov, the grandson of the famed Field-marshal Alexander Suvorov, who had studied with Wilbraham at a Swiss school] companion" from a school] welcomed me most cordially, and, though we had known each other but slightly at Hofwyl [a school near Berne, Switzerland] , yet, in this remote spot, our old companionship soon ripened into intimacy. He, like myself, had been a wanderer since last we met; and, as we compared our adventures by sea and land, we looked back with pleasure and regret to those happy days when, with our knapsacks on our backs, we had climbed the hills of Switzerland. A young German professor belonging to the University of Weimar, who was visiting the provinces of the Caucasus in pursuit of his botanical researches, occupied the only vacant apartment in Souvoroff's house, which would otherwise have been at my disposal.

September 27th. Baroness Rosen was at home this evening, and Souvoroff persuaded me to accompany him to the palace. The party was small, and, the evening being fine, we assembled on the terrace in front of the drawing-room windows. The baroness, who is descended from one of the oldest families of Russia, is an exceedingly pompous old lady: the daughters are good-humoured German girls, with flaxen hair and fair complexions. The eldest, who had been lately married to the Prince Dadian, colonel of the grenadiers of Georgia, is a pretty blonde; but the Countess Simonich, with her sparkling eyes and raven hair, threw her Saxon companions quite into shade. The terrace overlooked the river Kour, and in the stillness of the night we could distinctly hear the ripple of the current. Large trays of the most delicious fruit were handed round, succeeded by tea. Music was proposed, but all were unwilling to exchange the evening freshness for the close saloon.

Monsieur Rodofinikin and General Valkhovsky, the chief of the staff, called upon me at the colony, and offered to find quarters for me in a more central situation. On the morrow I returned the general's visit, and was received with great civility. The quarters of a colonel of engineers adjoining his own house were fortunately vacant, and he placed them at my disposal. I willingly accepted the offer, and moved into my new house the same afternoon, for I had already found the distance from the town a great inconvenience, desirous, as I was, to enter into the society of the place. My sitting-room looked out upon the square where all parades were held, and behind the house was a small court where my stud was picketed. In case of rain there was a two-stalled stable for my own horses, and plenty of room for the remainder under a wattled shed.

The general kindly hoped that, when not otherwise engaged, I would join their family party, with whom he made me acquainted. Madame Valkhovsky is a very lady-like, pleasing person, with a retiring manner: she speaks English correctly, as indeed do all the inmates of the house, except the general. There is an aunt of her's who lives with them, a delightful old lady, born and educated in England, and quite English in her appearance. I never heard her name, for, according to Russian custom, every one called her "Anna Andrevna," Anne the daughter of Andrew. Then there was Mr. Feh, the general's aide-de-camp, who had also lived many years in England, to which he seemed to look back with pleasure. His history is curious, though by no means singular in Russia. He was in the civil service, and held a good appointment in Bessarabia, but, having killed his antagonist in an unfortunate duel, he was "destitue," as it is termed, and though, as I have said, not a military man, was condemned to serve as a private soldier in the army of Georgia. After ten years of service in the ranks, he has at length earned his epaulettes.

Now that I was fairly established in Tiflis, I began to enter into the society of the place, and there were several houses where I could always reckon on a good dinner and a cordial welcome. In the evening too many were glad to see their friends; and as the dinner-hour was early, and there were no public amusements in Tiflis, I often availed myself of this custom. Many of those whose houses I frequented were foreigners, who form a very large portion of the class of Russian employes. An adventurer, who styled himself the Baron Dieskau, who had the impudence to pass himself off for an English Elchee  among the Afghans, and the knavery to procure money in that character, expressed himself desirous of making my acquaintance - an honour which I declined, knowing rather more about him than he reckoned upon. He is an officer in the Russian service, into which he has been admitted since his doings in Afghanistan. Anyone, indeed, who has been in India, whatever may have been the cause of his quitting the country, is received by Baron Rosen into the Russian service.

I rode to New Tiflis to call upon Mr. Dittrich, with whom I had an interesting conversation on the subject of the German colonies. I was sorry to learn from him that they had not flourished as might have been anticipated. Many causes conduced to this: the unhealthy situation of some, the poverty of the land of others, and the want of capital of all. He also told me that great disunion prevailed among the colonists, principally from differences of religious opinion. The colony of New Tiflis consisted entirely of tradesmen or mechanics, the want of water forbidding their turning their attention to agriculture. Those who were masters of their art, or whose trade was lucrative, soon moved into the city, and scarcely any but the poor remained. Some few, indeed, make money by letting out carriages and horses, but the greater number earn a meagre subsistence by washing, selling milk and butter, and making hams and sausages.

Mr. Dittrich told me that the measures of the Russian government towards the colonists were liberal and judicious, and imputed their failure to circumstances not under its control.

The French consul is only allowed to receive the "Journal des Debats" on the condition of not showing it to any Russian subject. Whenever any article appears which is condemned in Petersburg the guilty number is enclosed in cartridge-paper, and sealed with the seal of the censorship, a sort of political quarantine. The "Petersburg Gazette," a scanty little sheet, containing no information, is the only paper seen in Georgia. Although Tiflis contains so large an European population it possesses no public library, nor indeed even a bookseller's shop. The only publications that I saw exposed for sale were Russian dictionaries, and a history of the campaign in Turkey, published by authority. In only one of the many houses that I was in did I see any symptoms of a book-case. Thus debarred from the only rational mode of employing their time, it is no wonder that the Russian officers should fall into those habits of gambling and dissipation so prevalent among them. With the exception of a few young men of good family, who have joined the army in Georgia in the hopes of distinguishing themselves in the only field now open to them, the officers are seldom gentlemen by birth or education, and disgraceful scenes not infrequently occur unnoticed, which in our service would justly cost a man his commission.

There is at Tiflis a gymnasium for the education of boys of all nations, in which much attention is paid to the study of Oriental languages, the knowledge of which is a certain stepping-stone to advancement in the Russian service. One young man who was studying at this gymnasium called frequently upon me. By birth he was a Hindoo, by religion a [Muslim], and whenever I had a vacant hour he would come and talk to me about his native country, which he sighed to revisit. There was also a young Egyptian, a clever little lad, at the same establishment.

September 29th. As I was returning from a late ride, a string of carriages before the palace-gates announced that there was a party at the Baroness Rosen's. I dressed, and went to make my bow. The ladies were drawn up in the most formal and formidable half circle that I ever faced, while the gentlemen at the other end of the apartment were following their own devices. Many of the ladies, indeed the larger number, were Georgians, in their national costume, a dress well calculated to disfigure the prettiest face and form. One gentleman alone had ventured within the magic circle, an aide-de-camp of the Emperor's, just arrived, who had been sent on before to see that the parades and guard-mounting were performed according to the latest fashions of the capital. He was a colonel of the Imperial Guards, a handsome, soldierlike man, agreeable, and well-informed. I followed his example, and attempted to engage some of my fair neighbours in conversation, but scarcely one of them understood any European language. It was very up-hill work, and I soon had had enough. In the ante-room I met young Count Shouvaloff [Shuvalov], whose acquaintance I had made at Petigorsky [Pyatigorsk], and whose manner had pleased me much. He is heir to one of the most princely fortunes in Russia, but has left the gaieties of the capital to win laurels in the Caucasus. He is quite enthusiastic in his admiration of Oriental customs and costumes, and seeks the society of the natives, especially the mountaineers.

October 1st. On Sunday I drove to the church of New Tiflis, a plain and unpretending building, lately erected by the Russian government. The church was very empty, perhaps in consequence of the bad weather, for a large portion of the congregation live on the other side of the river. Mr. Dittrich's manner is very impressive, and his silver locks and benevolent countenance heighten the effect of his eloquence. The service was admirably performed; and the voices of the young children, blending in the psalm with the deep bass of the men, produced a pleasing harmony.