Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-05-11
The Baltic Fleet.

As We shall doubtless have important news
from the British and French fleet operating
against Russia in the Baltic, the following ar
ticle from the Boston Post descriptive of 10
calities on that inland sea, will be read with
I interest g. .....t ....... ......... ....
The Immediate objects of Sir Charles are
kept profound secret Aland, Riga, Revel
and Cronstadt are named as the points of at
tack Aland is. cluster of islands in the Bal
tic, near the entrance of the gulf of Finland
Of these, eighty islets and places are inhabited
by fourteen thousand population. 1t has seve-
raj good harbors, which are kept strongly for
| tined by the Russians, who here keep a large
| military force. Aoland, the largest island,
! has 5000 population and about seventeen square
miles The Russians have numerous fotilla
! here.
Riga lying at the mouth of the Dwina, and
being the cntrepot Of an extensive country, is
the second city Of Russia in commercial i'm
portance. 1t is at the head Of the gulf of this
name, has population Of seventeen thousand,
and is very strongly fortified II consists Of
town and suburbs-the town being entirely
surrounded by the Notifications. This is an
ancient city, the capital of Sivonia.
Revel, where the Russian fleet is living. is
the capital of a government of European Rus
sla; city OF about Ii 900 population, and is
200 miles from St. Petersburgh 1t is strong
! ly defended by batteries the harbor difficult
OF entrance; and the roadstead, formed by sew
eral islands, is well sheltered The entrance
10 Revel IS said TO be commanded by strong
fortress called Owesland constructed of gran
lie, and on which there are three batteries
mounting 800 guns. 1t is also said to be gar
rsoned by large force. 1t is an old place,
having been founded by the Danes in 1918
taken By the Swedes in 1861, and captured by
the Russians in l7IO. Near it is a palace
built by Peter the Great
Cronstadt, the port Of St. Peterburgh and
the principal stations Of the Russian navy, is
very strongly fortified. Two thirds Of the
foreign commerce Of Russia goes through this
/ port. Two castles protect by their formida-
bic batteries the only passage to St. Peters
burgh. The city has fifty thousand inhabit-
ants.
| The Russians have recently strengthened
4 these places, and EOw thousands of men are
/ employed In increasing the works. Couriers
/ are constantly passing between Riga, Revel
I and Cronstadt.
The Baltic Sea is the most isolated of any
I limited body of water in the world 1t is,
| without including the CULTS of Skager Roach
Or the Cattergat, $40 miles long and varies
! from IS 10 $50 miles wide On the Russian
side there are three important inets or CULTS
! the gulf Of Riga, 80 miles east to west, and 80
miles north to south the gulf of Finland, 200
! miles in length and 20 miles in width The
Baltic is extremely shallow, commonly not
more than eight or ten fathoms deep 1t is
not subject 10 tides; it varies at times about
three feet in height Of water
I The celebrated straits, the sound and the
two belts, command the entrance to this sea :;
and Denmark for ages has exercised a sort Of
sovereignty over them-collecting here the
sound tolls. The Baltic has been the scene
of memorable naval events and British fleets
on several occasions have appeared in its wa
tiers with hostile intentions. The objects were,
either to check the growing power Of Russia
or to maintain the claim Great Britain asserted
as 10 the dominion of the seas. History has
no blacker memorials than those which relate
to the dealings of Great Britain with Denmark
when the latter had her cities cannonaded and
her fleets destroyed or captured for asserting
the principle of the freedom of the seas.