The Kettle Island has a length of seven, and a breadth of from two to three versts. Towards the north-west it ends in a promontory called Tolbukina-Kossa, on which a lighthouse is erected. Its greatest breadth is to the south-east ; and here Cronstadt, with its harbour and fortifications, is situated. Nearly the whole surface of the island, where it has not been improved by art, is bare and desolate, either sandy or swampy, and scattered over with blocks of granite like the opposite coast of Carelia. Formerly it contained no dwellings but a few Finnish fishing-huts ; now it bears a city containing sometimes 30,000 inhabitants ; and from its havens, whence only a few poor fishermen issued two hundred years ago, twothirds of the foreign trade of Russia are now directed. If Nature had but favoured this island with a few more fathoms' elevation, and broken its
In general Cronstaxit with the garrison has not more than 10,000 inhabitants ; but during the summer, wlien trade is most active, it has mx)re than 30,000 workmen, sailors, soldiers, merchants,— Russian, German, and English.
sides into some deep creeks, it would have spared the Russian government an enormous outlay of money and labour. The harbours, docks, and bastions of Cronstadt have cost within the last century millions and millions of rubles, and thousands of human lives. Had Neptune but touched the island with his earth-shaking trident, or Vulcan driven his fires through its clefts, the greater part of this human toil would have been unnecessary.
The harbour for vessels of war will contain about tliirty-five large ships. A strong mole, 450 fathoms long, protects it from the violence of the waves. Near this lies " the middle haven," destined for the fitting out of shipsof-war. In the dock-yards of St. Petersburg, only the hulls of vessels are built; they are then with infinite labour transported on " camels" over the shallow bay of Cronstadt to this "middle haven," to be finished and fully equipped. The haven is sun'ounded by powder-magazines, and by immense quantities of anchors, cordage, tar, and other naval stores from the arsenal of Sestrabeck.
Further to the west Hes the merchant's harbour, capable of receiving a thousand vessels, and therefore the most interesting and animated of the three. To the north-west it is protected by a bastion of granite -blocks. A promenade on this bastion is the most agreeable in Cronstadt. Hence may be obtained the best view of the life and bustle in the three harbours. Opposite are the improving fortifications of Kionshlott, and from the extremity, the prospect of the wide sea, with the vessels ever appearing and disappearing in the horizon.
The waters of the bay are fiesh, except when a storm blows from the west, and makes them slightly salt. This freshness of the water is said to be the cause of the rapid decay of the ships, but the shocks they receive from the ice may have more to do with this than the want of salt. From the middle and the merchant's harbour two great canals run into the interior of the city. The quays on these canals, as well as those of the harbours, are of granite, and in a style of magnificence such as is hardly to be seen in any other commercial city, "j
The canal running from the middle harbour, which was begim by Peter the Great and fuiished by Elizabeth, brings up the ships of war to the dock for repair. It can admit ten large vessels at once. The whole basin, which is formed of granite, can, by means of a steam-engine, be laid dry in two days, and filled again within six hours.
The fortifications, hanoours, canals, and dock, are the proper objects of admiration in Cronstadt. Except these, all is of an ordinary character ; neither the churches nor the houses have any thing remarkable in them, the latter are for the most part but one story high. Besides the Russian Greek churches, there are an English, a German Lutheran, and a Catholic church. A Noble club, a Gostinnoi dvor, baiTacks, hospitals, cadet
These camels are gigantic chests, big enough to hold a ship of the line. AVhen the hull is built, and is ready to be sent down the Neva, such a chest is brougbt into the Admiralty dock-yard and filled with Avater till it sinks so deeply as to ailmit the vessel to float in through an aperture in the side. This done, the water is' j)inniH'd out again, when the "camel" begins to rise, till at last it is enabled to float down the river with its singular passenger. It is then towed by a steam-vessel to Crinstadt, and generally without aeeident, if wind and weather are favourable. \Vliy so inconvenient a dtuk-yard h;i.s not long ago been abandoned, it is liitlicult to conceive.
t They were ere(tel by the Emperor Nichokis, wlio lias done more for Cronstadt than any former sovereign.