The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-05 00:00:00

HOW TO TAKE ST. PETERSBURG.

Tha Lloyd publishes some considerations respect-
ing St. Petersburg applicable to the present
time :

" The island of St. Petersburg, subdivided as it
were into the additional islands of the Apothecary,
the Petrovskoi, and a cluster of smaller ones by the
branches of the Neva, is the one which offers most
interest, on account of a fort that faces it, built on a
small- island, distinctly visible in its entire surface
from the tower of the Admiralty. The fort forms an
oblong square, with large outworks on St. Peter's
Island and two others. They are so arranged, that
ships, by sailing up the canals that flow between the
islands, can take shelter under the guns of the fort.
It is rather fortunate for the citizens that they busy
themselves about other things, otherwise perhaps they
might well shudder, if they did but reflect on the state
reasons that led to the erection of this fort in the very
heart of their beautiful capital. Seeing that the houses
of the chief nobility are built all around it, the cannon
on its walls would make sad suicidal havoc, if they
should at any time be required to play. The fort rests
on a low island, commanding nothing but the city itself,
incapable of defending it, and therefore could only hr.ve
been built with hostile intent against the capital itself.
Of course it still exists there to serve as a last place
of refuge for the Emperor and his principal chiefs,
with their costliest valuables, in case the city should
fall into the hands of an enemy on the one side, or
should rise in insurrection itself on the other. This fort is
exactly opposite the Winter Palace, keeps up a constant
communication with it, and thus clearly enough reveals
its true purport. The arms of the Neva, where they are
in immediate contact with its mouth; are totally defence-

less. If Cronstadt, which really serves as the lock and
bolt to these islands, should turn out to be useless, the
helpless city may find in this fort a dagger planted
against its own breast, and the blow of which it cannot
parry. The events about to occur here aro not so very dif-
ficult to predict. Should the Russian fleet be vanquished,
the conquering fleet will run up the Neva, and the
defenders of the city will throw themselves into the fort.
The bombardment would reduce a part at least of the
city to ashes. On the restoratioh of peace, the Russian
sovereign executive, grieving over the destroyed city of
the Nqrva, would carry out an idea long since enter-
tained, by withdrawing into the interior of the empire
once more, and re-occupying the Kreml of Moscow, the
primitive seat, still deemed sacred, of the Czars. A man
gazing from the Admiralty tower on all these gay
palaces, and pondering on their not improbable saddes-
tiny, might be excused if he wept as Xerxes did, when
gazing on the host near the Hellespont."

THE BALTIC FLEET.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
•
KJOGE BAY, APRIL 4, AFTERNOON.—I have just
been on board the St. Jean d'Acre.
The fleet is still here.
The Austerlitz and other ships are visible from
the mast-head.
A Copenhagen letter of March 31, says :—We
expect every hour to hear that the fleet has sailed
from Kid to Kjoge Bay, a couple of hours' sail
south of Copenhagen. The Gorgon • left these
roads at half-past nine yesterday morning, and
steered southwards. Vice-Admiral Mourier in:
spected the Danish brigs Mercurius and St. Croix.
Numbers of the Russian and Finnish vessels in
Danish harbours have changed hands, and the rest
will follow. The merchants here are preparing to
take advantage of the commercial opportunities
now opening for them. Copenhagen will doubtless
benefit considerably. It is daily increasing ; new
houses are springing up on every side, but the
rents are as high as ever. Holstein is consi-
derably agitated. The Schleswig-Holstein party
is everywhere active. They are speculating on
Prussian assistance. As the price of its Prus-
sian alliance, Prussia hopes to bs allowed to oc-
cupy Holstein in the name of the German Con-
federation, and in the interest of the. German-
Russian neutrality, which views with disfa-
vour any western fleet in Kiel harbour. But
Prussia will doubtless think twice before it acts
once. Any step of this kind would be a signal for
justice to Denmark, which England has hitherto
so pertinaciously refused.
The same correspondent of April 1, writes :
With the exception of the Bulldog, 6, from Kiel,
we have seen no English vessels here since my last.
Should the fleet anchor in Kjoge Bay, as is hoped
by the Copenhageners, Sir Charles Napier is ex-
pected to pay the capital another visit. The
Danish war-brig Mercurius, Captain Smith, and
the war-steamer Mercur, Captain Wrisberg,
sailed yesterday to the north. Captain Tuxen,
chief of the engineer corps, will immediately
visit London, to make arrangements and in-
quiries connected with the new Government dock
here. Among the other results of the war
which are already felt here, I may mention the ab-
solute want of building timber and deals, which are
now twice the price they were a few months ago.
Of course no supplies can be expected from Finland,
and prices are consequently rising in the Swedish
and Norwegian markets. It is feared that this
will stop a great portion of the building operations
now going on here. The arming of Kronborg
Castle is now ordered to be rapidly completed.
Two more armed vessels, a frigate and a brig, are
being ,got ready for sea. The Holger Danske has
sailedto Frederikshaven, taken a pilot, and steered
to the south.

Conflicting and contradictory statements have
again appeared respecting the whereabouts of the
Russian fleet. One day it is stated that they were
seen at Helsing,fors, and the same journal asserts,
on the next day, that they were actually seen
by the Miranda at Revel. We believe the facts
to be as given by the Herald yesterday—viz.,
that Captain Lyons had succeeded in getting so
far as the north-east of the island of Nargen, and
within ten miles of Revel, from which place
he was enabled to ascertain that there were
no vessels of war at Revel. The Miranda was
hauled into dock, at Sheerness, yesterday after-
noon, to examine and repair copper, which is much
torn about the bows in forcing her way through the
ice in the Gulf of Finland. Several merchant-
vessels were at the edge of the ice, waiting to get
up the Gulf. They seemed not to like the appear.
ance of the Miranda, and hastened out of her way
as quickly as possible. One Russian merchantman
was set fast in the ice, towards the Finland shore.
—Morning Herald.