rous
vessels they passed having their canvas hanging idly down against their
masts.

On Tuesday morning they were at the entrance of the Gulf of Finland, and
in the evening they were passing the island of Nargen, with the town of
Revel, just rising out of the water, seen through their glasses beyond
it on the starboard hand.

The morning of Wednesday broke cold and grey, but in the forenoon the
sun burst forth and shone brightly; and the sea was rippled over by a
westerly breeze, which increased every hour in strength, and carried
before it numberless vessels of all nations and rigs, though the
galliots of Holland undoubtedly predominated. About noon, in this
numerous company, they passed the lighthouse on the island of Tolbuken,
which was held by the English during the late war, and whence the
British officers with their glasses could discover all that was going on
behind the batteries of Cronstadt. At about half-past one, a gun fired
across the bows of the steamer by the Russian guardship hinted to her
that she must heave-to; which being done, some officers came on board to
examine her papers and the passengers' passports, to drink the master's
wine, or spirits, or bottled ale, and carry away any gunpowder or
fireworks which might be on board. Ahead lay a large Russian fleet of
line-of-battle ships, frigates, steamers, brigs, and schooners, now at
length able to show their noses out of port; while a little way beyond
rose those formidable batteries which had so lately, by their very
appearance, been able to damp the ardour of some of England's naval
chieftains. On the left side was the island of Cronstadt, with its
fortifications, its town with its spires and domes, and its harbour,
capable of sheltering a large man-of-war fleet; and on the right,
opposite to it, were two circular batteries, which looked like huge
white factories rising out of the water; only instead of windows, there
were ports, while enormous guns in lieu of rainspouts crowned their
summits, without even a parapet to hide their carriages. On the
southern part of the chief island was a similar tower.

Most of the passengers had some favourite plan of their own for taking
the fortress,--especially some commercial travellers, who were loud in
their expressions of scorn at the want of success of Napier and Dundas,
and the sad degeneracy of the British navy. Cousin Giles was much
amused, and advised them to lay their plans before the English
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