The Baltic, the Black Sea, and the Crimea : comprising travels in Russia, a voyage down the Volga to Astrachan, and a tour through Crim Tartary

Front matter

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Chapter I. , Page

Leave Stockholm — Fortress of Waxholm — The Aland Islands — ^Reach Abo — A knowing Innkeeper — An Old Cathedral and New Church — ^Modern Town of Aho — Helsingfors — A Yiew from the Harbour — Fortress of Sweaborg — Admiral Cronstadt — Alexander and the Fins — ^A mistake of Europe — ^A striking Change — Bevel —Cronstadt -------1

CHAPTER n.

Approach to Petersburg — ^Life on the Neva — The Custom-house — ^The Izac Church— The Easan Church — ^The Winter Palace — A Plain Saloon and a " Boudoir" — The Hermitage — ^A Bow to Telagin — ^The Garden Islands — ^A Russian FSte— Peterhoff— FSte of the Empress - - 19

CHAPTER ni.

The Citadel and Church of St. Peter and St. Paul— Foundling Hospital — The Arsenal — ** Corps des Mines " — ^The Streets — ^The Summer Garden — A Scotch Physician — Adieu to the Queen of the Neva — ^Making a Road — Novgorod the Great — Roadside Villages — ^The Costume of the Peasants — ^Personal Appearance of the Peasantry — Travelling Carriages - - - - - - 32

Vm CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

PAGE

Arrive at Moscow — Towns interesting from different causes — ^A view over Moscow — ^Moscow the idol of the Russians —The "Spass Vorota'*— A Saint's FSte— the Gostinnoi Dvor — ^Ninime and Pajarski — The Maidens' Convent — The Nuns not Beautiful — ^The Kremlin — ^Russian Superstition -------46

, CHAPTER V.

The Terema Palace — Napoleon at Moscow — ^The Tower of Ivan Valiki — ^A Great Gun — ^Russian Tricks — St. Basil's Church — ^The Foundling Hospital — ^Division of Classes — Prevention of Fire — Siberia — A Philanthropist — Siberian Exiles — ^Knocking off Chains — ^The Exiles' Prison in Moscow — A cherished Souvenir - - - - 58

* CHAPTER VI.

Troitska Monastery — ^Russian Churches — The Pilgrims' Worship— The Altar and « Ikonostas "—St. Servius— St. Servius at Silistria— The Treasury— The Refectory— The Pilgrims — ^View from the Tower — Leave Troitska — ^Leave Moscow — Cotton Lords — Cossack Stations - 76

CHAPTER Vn.

Arrive at Nijni Novgorod — Hotel Boubenoflf— Influence of Commerce — A Mania for Bells — ^ReBned Gipsies — ^Russian Dances — ^A German Breakfast — ^View over the Oka — ^The Town of Nijni Novgorod — ^Decide on Descending the Volga — ^Looking for a Boat — A Bargain made — A Notary's Consolation — Our Volga Boat — Preparing for the Voyage

CONTENTS. IX

PAGE

— ^A Deserter — Taking a Prisoner — An abject Slave — ^A wild Crew — Boatmen's Repast — Battlemented Monasteries — A romantic Village^ — Almost an Adventure - 89

CHAPTER VIII.

Rechievahs — Kosmadimiansk — The Tchouwasses — ^Their Marriages — ^Tcheboksar — Character of the Scenery — ^Anticipations — Approach to Kazan — ^An Uncomfortable Drive — ^Reach Kazan — ^The Gostinnoi Dvor — ^The University—The Streets of Tartar Town— The Kazan Tartars- Rendezvous of Siberian Exiles - - - - 112

CHAPTER IX.

Leave Kazan — ^The Kama River — ^Imperial Policy — ^Nicholas and the Church — Simbirsk — Karemzin's Monument — ^The Church always conspicuous — A Wilder Region — Russians Bathing — Our Servant Andr^ — ^Life on the Yolga — ^The Boatmen*s Songs — ^Khvalynsk — ^Volsk, and the Italian Boy — ^Russian Capacity of Endurance — Saratov — ^An Encounter with OflBcials — ^Interference of the Military — A Triumph ------- 127

CHAPTER X.

Rovno— A dirty People — ^Doubofka — Drunken men at Tzaritzyn — A Midnight visit to Sarepta — German Honesty— Flight of Wild Fowl— A Don Cossack's House , — An Oasis in the Desert of Dirtiness — A Kalmuc Camp — A Kalmuc Mother — The Kibitka — Kalmuc Costumes — ^Kalmuc Feeding — A Russian Fishing Station — ^The Evening Prayer — Commencing Difficulties — Leave the Boat — A Polite Postmaster— Arrive at Astrachan -------- 146

X CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XI.

PAGE

A Shocking Night — A Fever taken — The town of Astrachan — The Fisheries — ^Russian Credulity — ^The Chief of Police — Prepare for departure — An unfortunate Resolution — Monday an unlucky Day — An insensible Servant— The Polka Jacket — Sarepta — ^The Moravian Church — The Contents of a Garret — ^The Act of a Despot — An evening with the Pastor— Farewell to Sarepta - - - 166

CHAPTER XII.

Adieu to the Volga — Steppe travelling — Getting a Horse out of a difficulty — ^The " Yamstchic " — ^Arrival at Novo* Tcherkask-r-The Bazaars — ^The Don Cossacks — Nakitchevan — ^Taganrog — ^Variety of Races — ^The Noguai Tartars — ^Vahie of Women — Costumes of the Noguais — The " Tsiganes " — ^Mariopol — ^A Russian Urchin and a Tartar — ^Arabat — Rather Disagreeable - - - - 183

CHAPTER XIII.

Panticapseum — ^The Hill of Mithridates — Yawning Tombs — The Hill of Gold — ^A Slight Atonement — Opening a Grave — Modem Kertch — ^Eertch under the Turks — ^View of Theodosia— Man's Wild Passions — Russian Barbarism — Arrive at Theodosia — Remains of the Ancient Town — A Scene on the Shore — Karasu-bazaar — TheArtof Turning— Coffee-houses— Khans and Churches 201

CHAPTER XIV.

A change of Scenery — Simpheroix)l and Ac-Metchet — ^Mysterious Figures — ^The Salgir Valley — Bribing Yamstchiks —Abode of a Crim Tartar— Tartar Maiden's Skill— The

CONTENTS. XI

PAGE

Tartar Matron — Three Young Tartar Wives — ^Mountain Caverns of Kisil Koba — The Lower Caverns — ^Tchatir Dagh — Beautiful Scenery — Arrival at Alushta — Grenoese ruins — ^Modest Russian Church - - - - 219

CHAPTER XV.

The Southern Coast — Reach Yalta — ^An Englishman's Grave — Botanical Garden of Nikita — ^Wines of the Crimea — Yalta a Watering-place — ^A Russian Colonel — Struggling with Passion — "Haute Politique" — Russian Opinions — Russian Education — ^Annihilating Turkey — Russian Prisons — Leave Yalta — Castle of Alupka— A luxuriant spot — ^A romantic Hotel - - - 235

CHAPTER XVI.

Leave Alupka — Sublime Scenery — The Baidar Pass — An ill-used Valley — Reach Balaclava — Ruins by Twilight and Moonlight — Balaclava — The Harbour — Reach Sevastopol — Effects of Crimean Wine — English Society — ^The Port and Harbours — ^The Fortifications — Casemated Fortresses — Remarks on the Fortifications — Russian Black Sea Fleet — Russian Corruption — Defences towards the Land — Landing-places for an Army — Balaclava desirable for a besieging Army — Attacking Sevastopol from the North — The Club-house — Military Hospital — The Great Docks

^ — Sailors' Barracks — Watering the Fleet - - - 253

CHAPTER XVII.

A Row up the Bay — Inkerman — An excavated Monastery — A Town of Caverns — Great Fortress in Ruins — Observations on the Caves of Inkerman — Great Stone Quarries — TchemaiaRetchka Valley — A Tartar Beauty — ^The Tower of Tchergouna — A moonlight Row down the Bay - 278

XU CONTBNTS,

CHAPTER XVm.

PAGE

Leave for Bacthi-Serai-^First View of the Town — ^Enter Bacthi-Serai — Palace of the Khans — Interior of the Palace — ^Vestibule and Fountains — A Kiosk — The Harem —Legend of the Harem — Dilara Bikez — ^The Tombs of the Khans — Short reigns of the Khans — ^Reveries in the Palace — The town of Bacthi-Serai — ^The Fountains— The Crim Tartars — ^The Tartar's Capacity for Civilization — * The Abodes of the Gipsies — ^The Monastety of the Assumption — Achelama - - - - . 291

CHAPTER XIX.

Tchoufout-Kal^— Enter the Fortress Town— The Karaite Jews — Observations on the Karaites — ^Tchoufout-KaW, the Capital of the Khans — The Synagogue — ^The Valley of Jehoshaphat — A Singular Apparition — An Amusing • Introduction — A French Blue-stocking — Cain Killing his brother Abel — A Touching Present — ^The Fortress Town " of Mangoup Kal^ — Extraordinary Ruins — ^Palace of Margoup — Curious Dwellings — ^Return to Bacthi-Serai - 311

CHAPTER XX. .

The Ruins of Chersonesus — Tumuli— iMonastery of St. George — ^Entrance* to the Monastery — ^Leave Sevastopol—^ A last View of the Fortifications — Eupatoria — Reach Odessa— The Streets— The ^uburba— Public Buildings— The Letter of Introduction— The Chief of the Police— The Prison of Odessa — Life near the Quarantine Harbour — Russian Corruption — Sufferings of the Soldier — Permission to embark - . — - - - - 328

Digitized by VjQOQ IC

THE BALTIC, THE BLACK SEA, AND THE CRIMEA.

CHAPTER I.

Leave Stockholm — ^Fortress of Waxholm — ^The Aland Islands -^Reach Abo7-A knowing Innkeeper — ^An Old Cathedral and New Church — Modem Town of Abo — ^Helsmgfors — ^A View from the Harbour — Fortress of Sweaborg— Admiral Cronstadt — Alexander and the Fins — ^A mistake of Europe ~A striking Change — Bevel — Cronstadt.

On 'the 2nd of July, 1850, after having passed nearly a month in Stockholm, I embarked with my friend, Mr. Gordon of Pitlurg, on bo^d a small wretched steam-boat, to cross the Baltic to Finland. . We had already visited the whole of the islands of Diaimark, enjoyed some beautiful scenery in Sweden, and now proposed taking a long tour in the Russian dominions.

The ordinary passenger-boat,' from some unexplained cause, had ceased running, and we were compelled to take our bertKs in the little "Abo," which loojked as old as" the town whence its name wm derived. Fortimately, from an early application, we

B

2 LEAVE STOCKHOLM.

succeeded in securing the only two diminutive sleeping-cabins, and so far escaped the misery which fell to the lot of our fellow-passengers.

A lovely morning had followed the soft twilight, which at this season and in this clime banishes the deep shades of the night ; and the fresh bracing air sweeping over the Malar Lake seemed to add vigour to the body, as the bright, clear atmosphere gave exhilaration to the spirits. Six o'clock, the hour of departure, arrived, and shortly after we cast oflF from the quay.

The fair city of Stockholm, with her white houses, surmounted by her handsome palace, sprang like a beautiful virgin from the midst of the waters, joyous and gay. We left her with regret ; for we had spent a happy time amongst her kind-hearted people ; had partaken of all the festivities attending the marriage of the heir to the throne ; and witnessed the demonstrations of loyalty displayed by a grateful people, to a good king, and a popular Crown Prince.

On our left we passed the deer park, with its noble trees and picturesque villas, the re'treat of the idle, and the resort of the pleasurerseekers ; while on the right were brown rocks, sterile and wild, only relieved by the dark green of some stunted firs, whose scanty wants were scarcely supplied from the barren crevices into which their roots had struck. For many miles we sailed through scenery rapidly changing in appearance, but coQistant in beauty. Now the blue dancing

FORTBESS OF WAXHOLM. 3

water expanded into a charming lake, now contracted into a narrow passage guarded by peaks of granite, against which the white foam dashed. Here was a secluded little bay ; and there a dozen small islands, some naked and blear, others wooded and green.

At length we reached Waxholm, a strongly fortified island ; the first outwork of Sweden on the side of Kussia, and beneath the very guns of which a steam frigate of the Czar's was Ijdng. This fortress commands the only channel by which large ships can pa^, and is in a position naturally powerful.

S weaborg has long since been lost ; Aland has shared the same fate ; and Waxholm has probably been regarded with no indiflFerent feelings by the possessor of those other strongholds, the rightful property of Sweden. Be that as it may, this great sentiDel which guards the portals of freedom from the encroachments of despotism, seemed to have a fixed frown, alike for friend or for foe, which the glowing sun of the morning could not chase from its brow.

For some distance after entering the Baltic we steered through innumerable islands and islets ; some peeping out from the surface of the water, othefs presenting high peaks and bold fronts ; while the white sails of the fishermen's boats ever and anon burst into view, soon again to be lost to the sight. And well it was that these pleasing objects were tiiere to enliven us, for our miserable little tub crept lazily along, and midnight had almost arrived ere we

b2

4 THE ALAND ISLANDS.

touched at one of the Aland group, where we stopped to take in wood.

These islands, ceded to Bussia in 1810, form part of the district of Abo. Situate in the Gulf of Bothnia, their position is menacing towards the centre of Sweden, and, in case of war between it and Bussia, could be made a rendezvous for a fleet, which would at all times be excessively dangerous to the former. Bomersund has been strongly fortified, and seems destined to play an important part in the events to which a few months must now give birth.

It was not until six o'clock in the morning that ve were again under weigh. In the meantime the small cabin of the steamer presented an extraordinary appearance. About a dozen passengers were crowded together on the floor, each endeavouring to get possession of the softest plank whereon to pass the night ; and a more seedy-looking set, as they emerged unwashed and unshaven in the morning from their common resting-place, could scarcely be imagined. A fresh breeze came on, and the decks piled up high with wood, caused the crazy boat to roll so much that she sometimes threatened to go over altogether ; and we were not a little rejoiced when we entered the small bay, and thence the Aura, on which Abo, the ancient capital of Finland, is situat^jd.

On our left the towers of the old castle looked respectable from their antiquity, but added little to ihe picturesque, for brickp and mortar with fallen

REACH ABO. 5

Stucco, however large the- building may be in which they exist, never convey to the mind an idea of grandeur, or any deep feeling of veneration. Yet this '' ch&teau *' has charms which are independent of its material or architecture. It has about it the hallowed memories of the past, ^tnd history connects it with many interesting events. Here Eric, the unworthy son of Gustavus Vasa, shut up his brother, and after committing a thousand acts of barbarity himself found a prison. It was regarded in the olden times as one of the fprtresses of Finland; and more than once formed a barrier to the invasion of the Russians, while it often withstood the attacks of those political parties, who from time to time contended for power from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century.

The Aura is an insignificant stream : and Abo is about two miles from its mouth. Immediately on our touching the small pier, some quiet-looking custom-house officers came on board. Our passports, already in possession of the captain, were handed over to them, and we were surveyed in the order which our names occupied on his list ; after which a strict examination of the luggage being made, we were permitted to land.

It appeared on inquiry that the steamer for Petersburg had left in the morning, and that the boat which had brought us was the property of the hotel-keeper ; who had very wisely arranged, for his own benefit, that it should reach Abo as soon as

6 A KNOWING INNKEEPER.

possible after the other had departed ; and thus he managed every week to detain the greater number of the travellers who arrived by it, for several days at the " Society's House Hotel." The only consolation to us under this detention was, the establishment being tolerably clean and well conducted.

The morning after our arrival we were obliged to appear before the governor of the district, who furnished us with a provisional passport for Petersburg; but this required the visi of the police before it was of the slightest use, and for that certain fees were expected.

Abo is the oldest town of Finland, and the cradle of Christianity in that country ; but few of the monuments of its flouridiing period now remain. It has met with a series of misfortunes, which were brought to a climax by a terrible fire that ravaged it in 1827. Helsingfors had previously been constituted the capital ; and it became the policy of tlussia to remove the University to the same locality, and to crush the lingering attachment in the people to the birthplace of their faith, and the seat, of their learning. All support was withdrawn from it ; and commerce, which had joeviously flourished, soon began to wither, and had latterly become nearly extinct.

The old cathedral almost fell a victim to the allrdevouring conflagration : the fire having entered it, destroyed the organ and other parts, and reduced

AN OLD CATHEDRAL AND NEW CHURCH. 7

dome of its marble monuments to lime. There stood the poor old Gothic edifice but partially repaired ; while, as if to taunt the venerable pile with bitter mockery, a pert-looking Greek-Busdan church close by, obtruded its paint, as an ill-mannered girl would flaunt her finery in the presence of a dame of gentler Mood and purer taste, whose brow was whitened by the snows of age.

We entered this cathedrgd, and looked around with deep interest upon the monuments of a people, doomed soon to be absorbed and lost Amongst them is one presenting a singular instance of romance in real life. It is a tablet to the memory of Catherine Morsson, the peasant's daughter, who, possessed of beauty but* too attractive, was taken by *£rick XIY. from a hovel, and placed amidst unusual ^lendour on a throne, again at the downfall of her cruel husband to descend to poverty and die in mfeery. In the vaults beneath were buried the noblest and the wisest of Finland's children. We saw their bodies in a singular state of preservation, torn from the coiB&ns, and scattered about pell-mell. The most celebrated were placed in consjncuous situations, to be displayed to strangers. Amongst them was one of a philosopher : the size and form of the skull at once indicated the man to have possessed a large brain and unusual intellect '^ Step down and see how the professor looks," said our guide, in a jocose and flippant manner. "

8 MODERN TOWN OF ABO.

tempera ! mores ! *' Here were the remains of one, who, perhaps in his day, exercised a powerful influence on all around him ; who may have been beloved by his countrymen in life, and lamented in death ; now become the subject of a jest ; the object of a passing sneer from a vulgar mind.

The observatory stands on a hill, but is no longer used for its original purpose. A fine view is obtained from its roof, over the town and country ; the latter consisting of dreary-looking rocks, and granite boulders, interspersed with small valleys, miserably cultivated, and badly fenced, which rather added to, than diminished, its wild and inhospitable appearance.

The modem town of Abo has immensely wide streets, and the houses, nearly all of wood, are detached; so that the extent of ground occupied is enormous, in comparison to the number of inhabitants. This arrangement is very good in case of fire ; but in other respects, has many inconveniences, and throws a melancholy air over the place, which looks quite deserted. Here are some cotton manufactories on a limited scale. We attended the small well-fitted theatre, witnessed good acting by native players, and heard Kellermann, then on his way to St. Petersburg, execute some exquisite pieces on the violoncello.

After five days' sojourn, when we had not only exhausted the few objects to be seen in the town, but driven on every available road in the neighbourhood,

HEL8INGF0RS. 9

we found ourselves on board the good steamer " Storfursten," bound to Helsingfors, Revel, and Petersburg. A heavy fog hung over the Aura at the time of our embarkation, and our departure was delayed two hoxirs on that account ; but once away, we were soon again in the midst of similar scenery to that on the coast of Sweden; consisting of innumerable islands and rocks of granite, wooded or bare, resembling each other, but never monotonous, and often highly picturesqua The channels being at times exceedingly narrow, and the navigation intricate and difficult. Towards the evening the scene was enlivened by the appearance of numerous small craft, wafted slowly along, with every sail set, before the light fair wind.

At length the dome of the Russian church at Helsingfors came into view ; and shortly afterwards we passed close to^the guns of the great fortress of Sweaborg, which, by the bright twilight, looked mysteriously severe and imposing. Although it was late before the vessel was moored, we determined to land and take a general view of the town.

Helsingfors was constituted the capital of Finland in 1819, and the seat of the University, after the destructive fire in Abo, whence that part of the library which had been saved was brought. The place, therefore, is quite new; the houses, built of brick, stuccoed, and coloured white, are good, and of Grecian architecture ; the public buildings fine, and being in

b3

10 A VIEW PROM THE HARBOUR.

wide streets and on open places, were shown off to the greatest advantage by the soft light we had chosen for their first inspection.

Daylight did not alter our favourable impressions ; for although some imperfections were discovered which had been concealed the previous night, yet Helfiingfors must be pronounced, on the whole, a handsome town; and seen from the harbour presented a charming, even a bewitching, aspect.

In the foreground were hundreds of market-boats, with a busy multitude on the shore, moving to and fro, a picture full of life and animation. Ranges of noble buildings lined the quays, above which rose other splendid edifices — the university, senate-house, courts of justice, observatory, and palace of the governor, displaying their painted iron roofs, of brown or green, yellow or red. Crowning, finishing, and adorning the whole, stands a beautiful Ri^ssian church, built upon a rock, with the columns in its portico of polished granite, supporting a pediment, on which are statues; while a large purple dome, spangled with golden stars, springs from the centre of this elevated temple.

If Russia has neglected and ill-used her stepchild, poor deserted Abo, she has not been sparing in her favours to the offspring of her own creation ; and few towns in Europe of twenty thousand inhabitants can boast a more attractive appearanca But it is opposed, in every respect, to the simplicity of taste

FORTRESS OP SWEABORG. 1:1

which charaetenses ih^ Fins. It reoals none of their cherished traditions, but stands boldly forward, ever reminding them of the most sorrowful point in their hiBtory — the moment when their nation ceased to exist ; when from children of freedom, they were changed to bondsmen and slaves.

Helsingfors is visited in the summer as a watering place by the wealthy Russian nobility ; and an elegant bathing establishment is much frequented. It has always a large garrison ; but the great majority of tiie troops are quartered at Sweaborg* Part of the Baltic fleet is moored here in the winter, at which season it is exceedingly gay.

The harbour is remarkably fine. Closed in on every side, and sheltered from all winds, it is capable of containing the largest fleets, protected towards the sea by the gigantic fortress of Sweaborg, of immense natural and artificial strength. Indeed, it conveyed to us the idea of being even stronger than Cronstadt^ or Sevastopol, though not so showy and effective in appearance. Built upon seven islands of granite, many of its bastions and batteries are cutlti the solid rock, and every available spot where they can be placed with advantage, bristles with cannons of theheaviest metal, and largest caliber. The principal entrance to the harbour is narrow, and as we passed out of it, we looked into the great yawning mouths of these huge guns, which appeared ready to vomit fcwrth their deadly projectiles.

12 ADMIRAL CBONSTADT.

The reason will probably erer remain a mystery which induced the Swedish Admiral Cronstadt, in 1808 to hand this magnificent fortress over to the Russians, when he had a garrison of nearly eight thousand men, an immense supply of ammunition and provisions, and was moreover superior in numbers to his assailants. Such an act is totally unprecedented in history, and could only be accounted for by supposing that Russia had resorted to her usual system of offering an immense bribe, and had thus induced him to betray hie country ; or that he was the basest of all cowards. Yet neither of these reasons are supposed to have actuated him. A man of exalted courage, and presumed integrity, he had often before been tried and proved in the service of his country. He never returned to it, however, to give an explanation of his motives for so extraordinary and unjustifiable an act ; but preferred remaining in the Russian dominions, where, a few years after, he died, it is said, of a broken and mortified spirit.

Whatever obscurity hangs over the cause of Admiral Cronstadt's. having thus violated his trust, or deserted his post, the effect was fatal and melancholy for Finland. It blasted, by one rude and sudden blow, every fondly-clinging hope of the nation, and crushed the generous and noble aspirations of an ardent, intelligent, and enterprising people. We had some conversation with educated Fins, and never did we listen to more stirring words of burning

ALEXANDER AND THE FINa 13

hatred, towards the oppressors of their country, who are doing everything they possibly can to blot out the memory of their dearest associations and traditions, by curtailing the national literature, and restricting education within the arbitrary limits permitted by a scrutinizing police.

When Finland fell under the Russian yoke in 1808, the Emperor Alexander, overjoyed at the possession of so valuable an addition to his empire, and perhaps feeling that he was dealing with a people who deserved to be treated in a more liberal and generous spirit than the craven slaves over whom he ruled in the full swing of despotism, hastened to confirm the Fins in many of their privileges. They were permitted to guard their constitution, to maintain the rights of the University, and to enjoy the fullest immunity in their religion and its worship ; a spirit of conciliation being generally manifested towards them.

Nicholas has by no means followed out the policy of hk brother. It is true he has not always openly attacked these privileges, but he has, nevertheless, applied insidiously at the root a slow but cankering poison, the effect of which is already displaying itself in withering Uossonm and rotten ftuit ; and unless a diange shall soon take place, the noble tree itself must die and falL

The only possible excuse that Europe can offer for having thus allowed Finland to be snatched from

14 A MISTAKE OP EUKOPK.

Si^eden, to which it is united by affinity of race, by feeling, by institutions, and above all by religion, and to be absorbed into the Russian empire, is the fact of her having been at that time too much torn and distracted (by lengthened wars in her own centre), to enable her to act with unity and vigour in anything which called for interference at a distance.*

The effects of this mistake are now showing themselves. Russia without Finland would be much more vulnerable from the Baltic than she is at present, and she never could have developed any resources as a naval power in the north, while Sweden in that respect would have remained her superior.

It may be asked, " What is the use of her Baltic fleet locked up in the harbour of Cronstadt ?" The reply is, " That lying there, and it may be, rotting, it is worth fifty thousand men to her ; for even in a passive state it is exercising considerable influenceover Sweden, Denmark, and Prussia, but most especially over the two former. For they know full well, that if it still remain uninjured at the termination of the existing war, it might, and probably would, be brought against them afterwards on the first favourable opportunity, did they now take an active pa^ in opposing a power as unscrupulous in its acts as it is false and dishonest in its policy/'