The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-16 00:00:00

, HELSINGFORS AND STVEABORa

The following description of the fortress and of
Helsingfors is from a book just issued— " The
Baltic, its Gates, Shores, and Cities," by the Rev'.
T. Milner.

Helsingfors, the capital of the circle and of the
Grand Duchy, was originally founded by Gustavus Wash
in 1550, but on a site between four and five miles to the
north-east of the present. He gave it the name of the
Swedish province of Helsingland, combined with the
word fore, a " cascade," from a water-fall at the spot. A.
colony from that part of Sweden had been in the neigh•
bourhood for some centuries. The site was changed in
the year 1639, owing to the shallowness of the creole
forming the port.; but the " ancient town," Gammel
Stad, as it is called, still exists as a very humble village-
The present town has experienced many calamities ;
famine in the years 1695.6 7, a fire in 1764, followed by
another in 1809, which made fearful havoc. But, rising
from its ashes, it rapidly gained importance, and acquired.
metropolitan rank upon the senate of Finland, which for.
merly sat at Abo, being transferred to it in 1819. An obe.
lisk on the esplanade near the south harbour commemo-
rates this event, and a visit of the Emperor Alexander on
the occasion. Helsingfors stands on a peninsula, with
rocky islands in front, some tenantedby fishermen, other'
massively fortified, and with a country for its back.
ground either of naked granite, or presenting no other
verdure but that of the dark pine. It has all the insti-
tutions and public buildings which usually characterise
and embellish the capital of a considerable province, a,
university, senate house, and cathedral, which are fine
modern structures, barracks, hospitals, and assembly
rooms, an observatory, and botanic gardens, the latter a
little rich plot of ground formed of soil laid upon the
previously bare rock. The university is called the
Alexander University, though founded by the present
Czar in 1823, by removal from Abo. It has 24 pro.
fessors, with the Hereditary Grand Duke for the chan-
cellor. The town contains a population of 15,000, in-
dependent of the garrison. Manufactures of linen and
sail-cloth, with an important traffic in timber, fish, and
corn, are the important industrial employments.
From the quays of the capital, within long range of
cannon shot, the granite ramparts of Sweaborg may be
seen, with the roofs of the buildings it contains, consist-
ing of barracks, magazines, prisons, and a limited num-
ber of private houses, for, besides the garrison, there are
some Russian merchants in the establishments. This
celebrated spot is the guardian fortress of Helsingsfors,
commonly styled the Gibraltar of the north. It com-
pletely commands the seaward passage to the city, or the
narrow Gustaf Sound, the only channel which has water
deep enough for large vessels. The fortifications extend
over six islands, or rather rocks, Langorn, Lilla-Swarto„
Wester-Swarto, Oster-Swartii, Vargon, and Gustafsc ard.
[''he last five are connected by bridges. Vargon is con.
.idered the citadel, and is somewhat central. All these
islands bristle with cannon, and are grim with ramparts.
The works are of granite, and are as massive as the
foundations upon which they are built, being for the
most part constructions out of the solid rock. They are
said to mount 800 cannon, to have casemates for from
6,000 to 7,000 small arms, and barrack room for a gar-
rison of 12,000 men. In connection with these grim
features are little gardens formed of transported soil.
Count Ehrenswerd, field marshal of Sweden, superin-
tended the construction of the first fortress, the citadel
of Vargon, begun in 1747 and finished in 1758, during
the reign of Adolphus Frederic. He lies buried in the
area before the house of the commandant, under a monu-
ment bearing the inscription :—" On this spot, and sur-
rounded by his own work, repose the remains of the
Count Auguste Ehrenswerd." The same officer origi-
nated the gun-boat flotilla of Sweden, which was first
.organised in 1760 under the name of armcensjlotta, the
fleet of the army. •
The surrender of Sweaborg to the Russians in the year
1808 is one of the most extraordinary events in military
history. Sweden entrusted its defence to Admiral Count
Cronstedt, a man whose courage had been tested on
many occasions, and whose character was above suspi-
cion as to moral probity till the capitulation amply jus-
tified it. The siege commenced March 6, when the sea
was clothed with ice, and the land was deeply covered
with snow. In little more than two months afterwards,
though no impression had been made upon the place,
it was given up, the garrison amounting at the time
to 208 officers, and 7,386 non-commissioned officers
and soldiers, while the Russians had scarcely troops
enough to occupy the fortress, and superintend the
evacuation, On May 8, the Russian flag was hoisted,
and Te Deum was chanted in the square of Vargoa. .
near the tomb of Ehrenswerd. The Russians came into
possession of the following prizes :-53 pieces of brass
ordnance, 1,975 iron guns, 9,535 cannon cartridges,
3,000 barrels of powder, 10,000 cartouches, 340 projec-
tiles, nearly 9,000 stand of arms, 2 frigates, 6 xebecs, 1
brig, 6 yachts of war, 25 gunboats, 51 yawls, 51 barques
and sloops, 19 transports, and an immense depot of naval
stores. The commander of Sveaborg has been stigma.
tisod by the poet Runeberg.
" Conceal his lineage, hide his race—
The crime be his alone !
That none may blush for his disgrace—
Let it be all his own !
Ile who his country brings to shame,
Nor race, nor sire, nor son, may claim.
" Call him a serpent false and vile,
That wretch devoid of faith !
Call him disgrace, and scorn, and guile,
Sin, infamy, and. death !
Oh ! call him by no other name,
To spare thy hearers grief and shame."

The surrender has been called a psychological problem
but perhaps the following "separate article" appended
to the convention between the hostile commanders will
resolve it to most readers :—" In case the fortress should
surrender according to the convention signed this day,
Admiral Cronstedt proposes that the deficiency of his
military chest, not exceeding a sum of 100,000 rix dol-
lars, Swedish currency), and verified according to all
the usual forms, shall be made good by the Emperor of
Russia." The commandant never returned to Sweden,
but died in the course of a few years, it is said, of grief,
at Helsingfors.

ARRIVALS OP SPECIE,—The specie arrivals last week

have amounted to 1,000,0001., almost wholly in gold.
In this sum were comprised 70,0001. from Brazil,

320,0001. from New York, and 570,000/. from Aus-
tralia. The exports have consisted of a few parcels to
the Continent, and 200,0001. shipped on board the screw
steamer Prince, for the payment of the troops in the
Crimea.

TIDE PRICB WE FAY FOR A BREVET.—It appears from a
parliamentary paper printed on Saturday, that the ex-
penso of the Brevet in June last will be 17,7121. 13s. 4d.
a•year. The charges of the promotions amounted to
29,1281. Os. 10d., from which the half-pay to be de-
ducted amounts to 11,415/. 7s. 6d., leaving the expense
17,712/. 13s. 4d.

DEPARTURE OF THE AMERICAN MAILS.—On Saturday
afternoon the United States Mail steam-ship Niagara,
Captain Neil Shannon, sailed front the Mersey for Bos-
ton and Halifax, with the usual mails for the United
States and British possessions in North America, 163
passengers, and a full cargo of merchandise on freight.
THR FIRE AT NEWCASTLE.—The adjourned inquest on
the bodies of those persona who have died in the New-
castle Infirmary was opened on Friday, before Mr.
Stokes, the borough coroner. Two or three witnesses
having been examined, the coroner said it would be ad-
visable to make an adjournment for as long a period as
possible, so that the gentleman deputed by Lord Pal-
merston to examine the stones and other materials in
the neighbourhood of the explosion, with a view to de-
tect whether or not they indicated the presence of gun-
powder, might have ample time to pursue his investiga-
tion, and in order that the powder which they themselves
had seen might undergo a chemical analysis. The in-
quest was then adjourned till Monday the 2.3 d instant.
THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY.—The twenty-
second public drawing for rights of choice took place at
the offices, 33, Norfolk street, Strand, on Saturday, the
14th inst. ; the Rev. Dr. Worthington in the chair.
The Rev. Dr. Dodsworth, and Mr. W. Cundale having
been appointed scrutineers, 71 shares were drawn. At
the conclusion of the drawing the reverend chairman
announced that the committee would shortly allot vari-
ous estates. Amongst others, that at 'roueslo, in re-
ference to which there had been considerable` delay,
owing to the absence of the Duke of Northumberland,
qouf i ri
the es hade a been
made -as to the time for tal ifo
whose signature was required to an indispensable deed.
That formality had now been procured, and the society
would shortly lee in a position to proceed with the allot-
, ment of this very eligible estate, situated close to the
Irailway station at Hounslow.
Many
estate at West Malvern, and he wans happy to so ay that
the allotment would speedily take place, as well as of
heallotmentn
the East Retford and Tunbridge Wells estates. The
committee, he was happy to say, had just concluded the
atedthe
hthise year'swh o whole
registration,
Conservative
purchase of a very valuable estate in the east of London,
a s i t
party was
throughout the kingdom would come
and the purchase of other valuable properties was in
contemplation. He need hardly remark that they had
beenfact "—(hear)--indeed so signal had been the
success,•
veryt at successful
he., a great u
st
forward and avail
themselves of the machinery of the
society, and thus
aid very much the value of their
investments. He con-
fidently trusted, at no distant date, to be able to con-
gratulate the shareholders R
value of their property. MOr arogneireat increase in the
sen, the secretary,
announced that 35 shares would be placed by seniority.
PILLAR LETTER Box IN THE M
ETRO . rows —Lord
Carmine, and the authori • ties of the General Post-office
have had a scheme for some time in contemplation to
facilitate the posting of letters in London, by establish-
ing " pillar letter boxes" in the most populous districts
of the metropolis, and reducing the number of receiv-
ing-houses, which are attended with great expense.
The subjoined circular from the •Secretary of the
General Post-office has been transmitted to the several
district boards of commissioners of pavements, in which
the experiment is about to be made :
" General Post-office, Oct. 11, 1854.
" Sir, —I am directed by the Postmaster-General
to state, with a view of giving additional facilities
to the public for posting their letters, his lordship
has it in contemplation to place pillar letter-boxes
along the leading thoroughfares of the metropts,
at iutervals of half a mile or thereabouts, ansclte-t.
.it
he has selected the important line of Ludg nil
wherein
and Piccadilly as the first
Fleet-street, the Strand,
sod to fix the bozos
to erect those letter-boxes. It is propo.
t'on as not to ob-
on the side of the footway in such 9 I.
Phosiecost of construc-
tionstruct traffic of any kind, and that whole
department.hi I re-
and erection will be borne by
board will give
'll inform me whether your
quest that you wi
of such letter-boxes in
their permission for erectionthesuthority.
Lord Canning will be
the district under their of this department tie meet any
happy to direct an officer.
ppoint, to consult respecting the
person your board mulis.y_ction....4
ear,
4„0.
&c.
precise poilitB of 0 11' "R. EWA.",