Morning journal and courier., 1882-10-03
CORRESPONDENCE.

From Stockholm to St. PetersburS-The
 City of Peter-Its Churches, Palaces,
 Etc.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER:
 It was on the 2Oth of July that we took passage on the steamship Doebeln, which was to carry us from Stockholm to St. Peters burg via Aba and Helsingfow. The vessel on which we cross is very clean and beauti fully kept, the staterooms large and com fortable, and as the weather is fine and clear, everything leads us to expect 8 pleasant if not a quick passage. The Archipelago of the Baltic is very fine and goes beyond our expectations. Islands after islands, all GOV cred with beautiful trees, follow each other and delight the eye. It is an unceasing and varied panorama, a picture whose peculiar beauty leaves deep and lasting impression on the mlnd. All the northern part of Flu rope is too much overlooked by the Ameri can tourist, who contents himself with fol lowing the beaten track and is not unfre- quently satisfied merely to visit large cen- tres instead of going on what I would term ''an expedition of discovery.' And certain ly nothing could be more interesting and in l structive than trip to the capital of all the Russias, with it's Asiatic civilization, it's old Russian type.
 The most pleasant, though not the most 1 common road to this great center, is by water. As we sail along, we are reused out of our sleep by heavy clap of thunder. A heavy storm is breaking upon us The l lightning strikes one of our masts, doing, l however, no further damage than to dash a I lantern to pieces. At last the storm subsidies | and we return to rest. Before we reach Apo l in Finland our passports arc called for and kept by the authorities until we reach St. l Petersburg. While the vessel unloadS some of it's cargo we go ashore. Abo, once the ! capital of Finland, is a pretty place, with a ! fine view overlooking the harbor. It was l once a very fourishing town, but since the ! University has been removed to Helsingfow ! it has lost it's prestige. While on land we I witness curious sight, funeral procession | so unlike what we see in our attitudes that ] ! will give it few words of description. Al the head of the procession an immense flag
 with big scarlet cross on blue field is carried the ends supported by several men. Ther | on foot come the chief mourners; the corpse covered with black shroud and car 1 ried by men. Then in & small droschky G 1 two-seated open carriage peculiar to Russia
 the pope or priest dressed in purple. Afte, him follow a great many little droschkys I making very long funeral cortege. Bells toll all around and so deep is the silence that one might think the whole city was in mourn I ing. Only around the quays life is stirring | and SO thither we return.
 l Meanwhile the vessel having unloaded we l start on, hoping to reach Helsingfoes in the
 morning. Thursday finds us in view of this l remarkable stronghold which overlooks the
 sea and seems very powerful indeed Here | again we land and visit the chief places ot l interest The Russian church, building II l Byzantine style, is worth notice. It is on
 height to the right of the town and is built
 of red brick. All the turrets painted ir
 white so to give it the aspect of a build
 down it's flakes. The aspect at first is SC
 striking that controversy arises as to the
 possibility of such fact, but it be
 comes evident that it is but 8 sham, but oi
 the most perfect imitation and of very pecu
 liar effect. The inside of the church is very
 handsome and massive, the main altar being
 decorated by life size pictures in Russian
 Mosaic of great value. Tomorrow we final
 ly hope to reach St. Petersburg Yet ".
 have to pass the impregnable Kronstadt, s.
 appropriately called 'The Gibraltar of tn,
 North''
 At last, July 23d, we reach St. Petersburg
 and certainly it's approach is superb. Kron
 stadt is a very grand old stronghold. Herr
 in Petersburg we meet for the first tim
 the annoyances of custom house duty. Gu
 passports, which we had given up at Apo
 are returned to us the wharf by the cus toms officer. who calls out each name so as t. } examine our trunks The most severe revi
 sion is undergone here. Books are exam
 ined as to title and author. Any newspaper
 on which hands can be laid are mercilessl torn to atoms. One edition of ''Sunset Cox's "Arctic Sunbeams" is as carefully OK