Ju connection with the above, it of interest {0 revive the question—how many Russians are there in Shang-hal?' The existing answers to this are widely divergent. Recently we were informed by one of Shanghai's brondeasting stations that according Chinese sources 12,000 foreigners arrived in Shanghai during the last year, and the greater part of these wore Russians, Mr. J, R. Jones, how-over, In addressing the Rotary Club Yemarked that the number of Russians in Shanghai closely approached the 15,000 mark; and Russians themselves often boast of a population of 25,000 or even 30,000, 'A census taken at the end of the year 1990 by French Municipal authorities revealed that the Concession holds 12,880 Russians. In the Settlement there were counted 4,000; but when it ig taken Into consideration that at least a thousand odd Russians represent a transient element not easily "submitting" to statistics, and that a fixed percentage of Russian Jews, Latvians, Ukrainians, Georgians, Armenians and even Poles, speak Russian and work for Russians officially donot count themselves Russian, it can be estimated that Present' Shanghai's "Russian colony. numbers approximately 20,000, Last week was, among Russians, the merriest season of the year. Before the revolution "Maslianiten" (closely. akin to the English shrove-tide,) was 1 crowded week of bubbling galety—masquerades, balls, luncheons and dinners with friends, after which everyone who could, raced through the city on spirited "troikas," with the horses brightly festooned' and carriages hung. with carpets, "Mas-Hianitza" was the week preceding the of Great Lent, and the dish at this time was or pancakes A La' Russe. There Is a distinct art in cating "bleeny." and foreigners indulging in this delieney often commit the sactilege of leaving out certain ritual. First of all the pancakes are evenly spread with butter melted to just the right degree, and great care must be taken to.use neither too little or too much. 'Sour cream, caviar, salmon, and other palatable' and spicy access: sories follow, and only practice teaches one how to manipulate them to best effect.
Starting this Monday and continuing through the seven weeks of Great Lent up to Russian Easter, old men and all' deeply religious Russians will abstain from pleasures and from meat. During the first, fourth and seventh weeks, the more fervent re~ train from touching even fish. The
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.