Hapsal is a small harbour in Esthonia, north of Pernau, remarkable only for being the smallest trading port in the Baltic provinces. One postmaster, ten ships, 100 houses, 1000 inhabitants — such are the statistics of Hapsal, and they hardly ever alter in the smallest degree.
Our carriage rolled out of the sandy streets of Pernau, and we soon arrived at Reval. We hastened through the empty suburbs, and it was not till the masses of houses forming the Dom towered picturesquely before us, that Ave saw some inhabitants in the Pappelallee which runs round the city. Our equipage dashed noisily through the dark archway past tlie lofty walls, and we found ourselves in the midst of the frowning gableroofs which overhang the narrow streets in gray sullen solemnity. Massive oak-doors and antique gable-wmdows are on every side ; at the ceUardoors sit old women with " Timpioecken^^ (a kind of cake) ; here and there sparkle the brightly decorated windows of the goldsmiths and watolimakers ; unoccupied shopmen stand at their doors staring at the passers by, while the pretty inhabitants of the second or third floor suspend a conversation with their visiters, to examine the passing strangers from tlieir windows. iVll breathes of repose ; even the dogs seem to think it too troublesome to bark, and stretch themselves carelessly on the little-trodden pavement, while the cats, heedless of our arrival, continue diligently to clean their fur on the thi-esholds.
Soon we reached the inn, which seemed pervaded by much of the leisurely spirit of the place. We were hospitably received, and in another half hour were comfortably seated at breakfast, and felt ourselves quite at home.
Reval is divided into two parts, the upper and lower town. The former perched on the top of a rocky eminence, encloses within its old Gothic walls the Dom, the castle, with the residence of the governor, the commandant's house, the gymnasium, and about 100 other stone buildings belonging to the nobility. This whole upper part of the town is called the Dom. The lower part is far more spacious, with broad streets stretching to the flat sandy shore of the harbour, and contains, besides the dwellings and warehouses of the merchants, many public buildings, a rathhouse, the gilde-house, the house of the black chiefs, some school-houses, a printing-office, a workhouse, a house of correction, the bank, the barracks, a theatre, three libraries, &c. The town has nearly 15,000 inhabitants, 2000 houses, five Russian churches, and one Swedish, one Danish, and four German churches.
Our first walk led us through the chief streets to the Domberg, where reigned a most imposing silence ; for the possessors of these airstocratic dwelhngs inhabit them only twice in the year, once in the middle of winter, and once at the sea-bathing season.
When we had climbed down the Domberg again, we first passed through the narrow Klostergdsschen^ and then through a lonely cavelike passage in the massive gray old walls, till we stood before the newly-decorated halls of the Olaikirche. This beautiful old church, one of the most famous in the Baltic provinces, with a tower among the highest in Christendom, was destroyed by fire in 1820, but has since been restored, and the new building was solemnly consecrated in 1840.
Towards evening we entered a pretty little house, where we were very hospitably received. The very style of architecture of these little tenements in Reval, seems to invite to social meetings. Narrow galleries and flights of stairs lead into little low rooms, whose unsymmetrical form contrasts curiously with the order and cleanhness that prevail everywhere. Scarcely any two adjacent rooms are of equal height, and steps up and down lead continually to unexpected nooks and crannies. The warm, snug, hospitable, concealed little rooms, with their low window-ledges, antique clocks, and huge brown Dutch presses, seem to invite the passer-by to enter, and begin to gossip ; and pleasant enough I found such chance conversations with the amiable citizenesses of Reval, while they accompanied every word with their busy needles.