CHAPTER I. 
THE SAIMA SEE. 
From the centre of St. Petersburg a small steamer 
conveys passengers to the Station of the Finnish railway. 
In doing so it passes through the most magnificent city- 
river-scenery in Europe, proceeding along a noble stretch 
of waters, deep and rapid in their flow, and ever filling 
their basins, the banks of which are lined with palaces, 
public buildings, gardens, and mansions, every one of 
which is itself a palace. 
Taking departure from Vasilli Ostrof there are seen 
on the one bank of the river the English Quay—not a 
landing-place for goods and passengers from shipping, but 
a long street of elegant houses, amongst which is the 
Chapel of the British Factory, and the House of the 
English Club, with a low massive wall and broad pavement, 
both of red granite, said to have been brought from Scot- 
land when the city was built. Landing-stages there are for 
small picturesque ferry-boats, and massive landing-places 
for firewood brought in barges from the interior; and there 
are moored barges elegantly fitted up for the sale of fresh- 
water fish of various kinds, kept alive in floating tanks till 
selected and delivered to the purchaser ; but shipping there 
is none, excepting three or four richly gilt and beautifully 
shaped and equipped Imperial yachts, in keeping with 
the whole surroundings. Looking down the river we see 
large covered ship-building sheds, in which not a few of 
the wooden frigates of a former day were built. Along 
the quay from which we have started—the counterpart to 
that on the opposite bank, but bent in accordance with 
the bulging of the land, while the other is straight—are a 
