]S T OKTHEKN KUSSIA. 



CHAPTER I. 



THROUGH THE BALTIC. 



. 



I HAVE little to say about it. The fact is that almost 

 all voyages out of sight of land are much the same. 



In every ship there is the same sort of steward and 

 passengers ; the same bustle for berths at starting ; the 

 same running about through the cabin and on deck, with 

 hat-boxes, carpet-bags, and new portmanteaus, getting 

 settled down. 



The same smells too ! blame me not for dwelling on 

 them most notable facts are they, inasmuch as the nose 

 conveys to the soul fully as much information regarding 

 the external world as any other of the senses. Hence 

 there is a seashore smell ; a highland moor smell ; a 

 coach smell ; a first, second, and third class smell ; a 

 church smell ; "a subtle smell which spring unbinds," as 



55 



