In July 1900 when the civilised world on the tip-toe of expectation, expectation of news from South Africa, and expectation of news from Chi ally from the Intter, for the fate of the Legations was hidden in obscurity—a "trader" left the Birth of Forth with a cargo of coal bound for Cronstadt, that city of fabled strength. The day was ideal; a lively breeze played over the waters and our good ship danced on a heaving ocean. The Fife towns looked beautiful as the sun shone on their red-tiled roofs and the grim Bass, unmoved, breasted the breaking billows that furiously rushed on him and broke in milky spray.
When the Isle of May was passed and Scotlind faded from our sight the future scones occupied our thoughts. Cronstadt't" How that dreaded name' fascinated us! Max Pemberton had pictured all the horrors of it in his tale and an uncanny feeling came over one at the contemplation of the beholding it, After two days of tossing on a shoreless ocean, how land is welcomed and we in that ship gazed lovingly on the Scaw when it came into view one bright morning. The scene was pexco. The fishing smacks with their brown sails lay on a sea as calm and as still as death and but for us all was motionless. That too was soon lost in the morning have but from that time till the darkness of night enveloped us and hid from us distant Copenhagen and the dangers of the Sound there was scarce a moment lacking in interest, Distant chimney-stalks looked like stakes sticking' above the waters, the smoke from them like ribbons waving in the breeze, approaching steamers, belching furnaces and castles, floating palaces, and everything seemed wondrous strange although not unexpected.
In the Baltic the heat was intense, especially to.one who had not then experienced the summer heat of Shanghai, and the iron decks were so hot that the feet felt om fire and a seat in the shade was eagerly sought for and duly relished.
Once into the Gulf of Finland something of the land was to be seen and the westering sun reflected from the gilded domes' of Revel showed us for the first time one of the glories of Russia. Passing up the Gulf we had our first look at the navy of Russia. Wonder of wonders is that navy of Russia, These are types that were in use in the British navy fall fifty. years ago and are surely not on their effective force! The skipper assured us we should see some of their moderns by-and-bye, that these were used principally as training-ships, but the sight of these obsoletes made bad impression on one.
But we must off to bed as we make Cronstadt carly next moming.
The Gulf is now narrow enough to permit of us seeing both shores and these shores are wooded with a wealth of vegetation that delights the eye. On board all is pre-
articles and the skipper counts out the Begage & stowed sway for we are ea the paration for the Customs officials. Our
regulation dole of palm oil and places it conveniently to hand. The pilot now aboard has us under easy steam and the distant smoke indicates the nearness of the city. By-and-bye the Customs board us and having been "greased" their work is made easy, and we pass a good examination. We are then at leisure to note our surroundings.
The vessel is near her anchorage and going dead slow, and below there is a perfect babel. There, pointing and waving frantically is boat after boat manned by a red-shirted boatman, each warring for our custom while we are in port, for the steamer is not allowed to use its own boats. Besides these boat men there are merchants of all kinds eager to do business' with us while we are in their midst and with all these chattering, day is hideous and one is glad to escape below for a season, but man is curious and so the deck is soon revisited.
The quaintness of their attire tickles one. Never before have men been geon wearing their shirts outside their trousers, We came tothe conclusion that they must have dressed in a hurry but no, it coomed the fashion Tu quick succession exclamation followed exclamation. What hats! what boots! what beards! and in truth what hats, what boots, what beards.
No less strange to us was the sight of these fellows taking from their pockets bite of old newspapers and with the aid of a little tobacco converting them into cigarettes. All seemed to favour "my Isdy" in wat garb and later experience proved that the cigarette is facile princeps in Russia. The beholder realises he is in a new world.
But what of Oronsiadt?—Croustadt is not like anything to be seen in the British Isles. There is an eastern feeling in the ir—the East as one has seen it represented on the screen that is, it is not at all like Shanghai. There is nothing of the sombre in the architecture but a brightness of colour such as one never sees either in the grey North or in the dull-red South, of Britain, One feels in a kind of fairyland.
The forts, the forts, what of the forts! Yes, what of the forts? Keen is the dis. appointment for there is not much of them to be seen and certainly they are not so impressive as those of Portsmouth; but of course it depends on the view-point and then forts are not what they used to be. No, the forts did not make much of an impression.
The harbour of Cronstadt is a curious one, for there are no docks euch as one has been accustomed to see at home and vessels load and unload from lighters. Nearly all he trade of Cronstadt is in coal—which is imported, and timber—which is exported. The army of lumpers who do the w>k "f loading and unloading is an interesting study. One would hardly say that their personal habits are the most approved: their style is more on a par with the Chinese coolie than with that of the British dock labourer. The muddy Neva containing the Gulf, yet it is no uncommon sight to seo these hard-worked fellows dip down their buckets, draw, and drink, and when one a. seen that he does not marvel at the numbers who bear the marks of small-por. One admires cleanliness as the virtue nev: to godliness but there is a natural repugnant to it as practised by coolie dom whet ie- in China or in Cronstadt. "Man examine thyself" is a just and good command, but decency demands that the examination' take place in private.
We must ashore, however, to see the Russien on his native heath as i were.
Cronstadt is a busy place and was well-nigh full of jack tars; and jolly fine fellows some of them looked and no doubt could give good account of themselves if they ha: t It is Sunday and being inclined that way our only to there is no service ax its way to the english Church, the parson has not returned from Oranien-But his wife is a nice sociable lady and she invites us to sit down and await her husband's coming from over the water which we do and thus we spend a pleasant hoi Soing through the city, the people, the poor! to suit cyclists for they are laid with cobbles and slope into the centre of the street 60 that when the snows of winter melt the water will rush into this central gutter and keep the houses dry.
More wonderful than streste and buildinge, however, are the droskies, and more wonderful than the droskies are their drivers, One is compelled to say within himself; " What manner of man is thi other men are. The drosky-driver dresses in blue. Why it is hard to say, unless it be what we here are accustomed 10 hear described as "ole custom." It may be a relic of the serf days when a man was known or rather his rank was known by the number of colours in his make-up:—tho man of the lowliest station having but one colour in his coat and the Josephs—the distinguished men-many colours, Truly the drosky-driver is fearfully and wonderfully made. Ho is a gown and a man—a Bittle humanity enveloped in blue. One cannot but wonder how long it takes to unwind such a superfluity of wrapping from the human centre. Can it be that experience has shown that as a multitude of coverings tends to" keep out the cold so the same multiplicity of coverings tends to keep out the heat? It may be so but we British are a conservative people and as far as it is known to us no one has made the experiment. Moreover it is quite evident that the more wrappings there are is a ling importance, and to here at least one may judge by appearances if he is to arrive at an estimate of worth, Another feature of Cronstadt is the Russian officer in his grey cloak. He attracts attention simply because of his grey cloak, for the heat in Cronstadt in summer such that one cannot even think of cloaks without sweating, but that cloak must be worn "willy nilly" no matter how it is worn.
Jack Sack much in evidence also. after he has imbibed too freely of his vodka is rather boisterous and his mates and the sworded police treat him in no gentle fashion. In the streets the police are all-powerful and no one dare interfere till the symbol of the law has decreed what is to be done, and 60 when Jack lies " pitiable spectacle in the gutter he must lie there till the decree goes forth from him of the sword.
Night sees' us in the public park. A band performs and the Russian is, as all the world knows, a musician. As the band plays a large crowd of people, of all sorts and conditions, walks to and fro in circular procession and the scene is bright with many colours, for there are peasants there dressed in their native costumes accompanied by their merry children who sport in childish innocence. Children are children all the world over, and the sight gladdens the heart. With them there are no inter-
prestige io be maintained arbitra. national jealousies:. with es fee ment of the sword! It will be well when we become as little children.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.