St. P.gh Sunday Ny. [night] May 30 1869*1 (rcvd June 6 Friday)*1
Dearest Mother*2
I wrote last from Moscow, & yesterday received your welcome letter of 19th. -- I hope that ere this Aunt Harriet*3 is better, & that aunt May has been here than worse for her trip to Munich. I think that the de Wahls are aware of Anne's hopeless state; but we have made no allusion to it. we saw them yesterday, & also dined with them at the Maudees[?] Jiernas[?] on Thursday. I do not know the name of the artist of Bauer's picture; but it looks German, & probably Viennese; (to my eyes / the bill was £5.. 5, I think; & £1.. 1.. 0. commission ie. 6 guineas. With regard to N[ew] Zealand, the disturbances there are no more

likely to affect the places where Willy*4 is than they are to affect St. Petersburgh[sic]; & as to the British turning out of N. Z.d it is like talking of a Manchester[?] not on the Park[?] Marn[?] emptying London! You forget that N. Z is an enormous country the Europeans are 50 to 1, against all the natives, the disaffected natives 1 to 50 of the whole native population; & the disturbed area about - 1/200th of the whole area of the islands. -- but the subject is not worth serious answering. We have been very busy here with the exhibitions, with sight-seeing, & especially with finding one's friends, the most difficult task of all. The Medals were given the other day; & some 6 or 8 Decorations, -- I declined a Decoration; as I should not like my motives incurring here

bear misconstruction & I have no wish to profess orders that one is not allowed to wear in one's own country. The Emperor sent me & Dr Ross a very kind message, & begged our acceptance of a cadean yesterday[?] instead -- Mail came yesterday, in the shape of a pair of polished grey Jasper Vases, about 2 ft[?] high -- much of this shape & most brilliant specimens of stone & of workmanship. The Jasper is the product of a property in Tomsk that is personal & from the Jasper of which the Emporer[?] makes presents to his private friends only -- they are enormously[?] costly & worked at the Imperial factory alone -- To Dr Ross & Sir Murray, he has sent each a beautiful Malachite table top; much more gorgeous, but is anyway less valuable than the Vases, as Malachite may be got any where[sic], & the grey Jas[per]*5

Imperial exclusively. F.*6 & I. are vastly pleased with the choice for us, for which we are probably indebted to our friend general Grey[?], who has been most kind & attentive in every way. We go to Stockholm by steamer on Tuesday; arriving on Friday our movements thence[?] are quite uncertain; we may make a small detour into Norway & home by Copenhagen, please write to [2 words illeg.] there on mere chance -- This afternoon we go to the [2 words illeg.]x*7 some 10 miles off, to dine[?] & return at night. Young Wedgewood & his wife are here & will go with us. I shall have heaps to tell you about Palaces & jewels[?] when we return; but this whole place is a [1 word illeg.] cabinet of rich & gaudy tasteless things -- it is [1 word illeg.] still -- all but the people, whose kindness is wonderful[.] Ever your most affectionate| JDHooker[signature] X*5