No. 441.
Mr. Hoffman to Mr. Evarts.
St. Petersburg , May 23, 1878. (Received June 8.)
Sir: Since I had the honor to write you on the 16th instant, nothing has happened here to change essentially the position of the Eastern question, but its aspect is to-day decidedly more peaceful. Count Schouvaloff’s mission appears to have been successful thus far, and there is now every reason to hope that the congress will meet very soon.
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I cannot learn that any other vessel has sailed from a Russian port upon the same mission as the Cimbria. I am informed, however, that small parties of officers and seamen have been dispatched from time to time by the regular Bremen and Hamburg packets to New York.
The Shah of Persia arrived here to-day. A grand review is to be held in his honor to-morrow, and it is arranged that lie shall spend several of his evenings at the ballet 5 a species of entertainment which appears to have a special fascination for him. He will remain here one week.
Mr. Stoughton was to have left Rome last week for France, and is probably now at Paris.
I have, &c.,