180 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT. 



arsund as a beginning. The movements of the fleets 

 now indicated one project, now another. First, there 

 was the anchoring in Baro Sound, from the islands 

 around which could be seen the towers of Helsing- 

 fors, the low battlements of Sveaborg, and the ships 

 lying temptingly behind them. Then there was the 

 grand demonstration before Cronstadt. The French 

 fleet and part of the English a division being left 

 to watch Helsingfors sailed and steamed up the 

 Gulf of Finland, and lay for some days within sight 

 of the fortress, challenging the enemy to come forth 

 a challenge they very wisely declined. Meanwhile, 

 steamers daily carried reconnoitring parties of ad- 

 mirals and official dignitaries as close to the batteries 

 as prudence allowed. Lesser men, who had no 

 steamers at command, were content to scan the posi- 

 tion and defences of this Carthago delenda from deck 

 or masthead. 



The attack was finally pronounced to be impossible, 

 and so, after the place had been well looked at, the 

 ships went back again. 



Thus demonstration succeeded demonstration. The 

 summer wore on and no blow was struck. The dis- 

 aster at Gamla-Carleby, the abortive attack on Hango, 

 and the general inaction, had cast a shade of dis- 

 couragement over men's minds. Two or three sham 

 attacks on islands and lighthouses, which exhibited 

 much confusion and want of arrangement, lessened 

 their confidence also in the issue of any landing which 



