214 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



Presto surrendered at once, and all the forts, 

 finished and unfinished, were afterwards undermined 

 and blown up. 



Our work was now over, the campaign was ended. 

 It had been illustrated by no brilliant adventure, 

 startling incident, or hard privation, still less by 

 blood and slaughter ; but it was marked by few mis- 

 haps or errors, if any, and was complete in its results, 

 military and political A chain of formidable for- 

 tresses had been first cut off from outward succour, 

 and then utterly destroyed ; every man within them 

 had been killed or captured, all the guns and stores 

 had become our spoil 



Politically, too, the event had its significance. A 

 gigantic plan of aggression had been balked ; the 

 erection of a second Sebastopol in the Baltic had 

 been frustrated ; and the Northern Powers saw them- 

 selves freed for many years, perhaps for ever, from 

 the presence of a stronghold, mighty for offence and 

 defence. 



