Page:Thirty-five years in the East.djvu/123

Rh and friends admired my oriental costame so much, that they requested me not to change it ; and I yielded to their request, and afterwards visited many of the capitals of Europe in that dress. I passed the remainder of the season at Kronstadt in the most agreeable manner ; after which, I proceeded on my journey towards Vienna, passing through Hungary. Thence, I went to Trieste and Venice, Milan, Genoa, Nice and Marseilles ; from this last, I made a short excursion to St. Tropez, to see General Allard's family, from whom I learned that the general had left India and was expected at Bordeaux. I proceeded to that city, and, after a three weeks' stay, I was so fortunate as to meet with the general, who brought me the box containing the antiques which I had forwarded to him from Cabul. I afterwards visited Paris, and came to England, by Calais and Dover, My companion on this journey was my brother, to whose daughter I had stood godfather. His accompanying me was owing to a strange and unfortunate accident which had befallen him.

On the very day on which I wrote to him from Orenburg, announcing my approach towards home, he had lost nearly all his fortune by a destructive fire, through which he was almost reduced to despair. In order to restore him to his former activity, I proposed that he should accompany me on my tour through Europe, which he willingly did.

At Paris, my steps were first directed towards the domicile of the father of Homoeopathy, the celebrated Doctor Hahnemann. In Russia, I had been already told of the prodigious effects of his new healing system, and I earnestly desired to learn it at the source itself. The magnanimous old man and his lovely young wife received me in the most friendly manner, and I must not omit to mention, that the open and good-natured Homoeopathist made many interesting revelations to me respecting his new method of curing. It was particularly important to me that Hahnemann recommended to me his apothecary at Kothen, Doctor Lehman.