The next morning the squadron sailed for Cronstadt, and, as the weather was beautiful, the trip was a very pleasant one. The gulf was lively with steamers, and sailing vessels of all kinds, from the smallest Russian fishing shallop up to the largest man-of-war. There were iron-clads and steamers of all sizes belonging to the Russian navy, and the students gazed with interest at half a dozen monitors. These war vessels were all engaged in various manœuvres and evolutions for practice.
"What flag is that, Mr. Lowington?" asked Captain Cantwell, as a vessel passed them.
"The Russian flag," replied the principal, surprised that the captain of the ship should ask such a question.
"But I thought that on the men-of-war was the Russian flag."
"Both of them."
"I saw this white flag, crossed with a stripe of blue from the corners, on the Russian fleet which came to America several years ago, and I supposed that was the Russian flag."
"It is the Russian man-of-war flag. The Russian merchant flag consists, as you see, of three equal strips of bunting, extending lengthwise—the top one white, the bottom red, and the middle one blue. The Russian royal standard is a yellow flag, with the double eagle in the middle. Most of the European nations have several flags. You will find diagrams of all these flags, standards, and jacks, in several volumes in the library."
"Thank you, sir. I will study them," replied Cantwell, touching his cap.
In the afternoon, as seven bells struck, the squadron was approaching Cronstadt. The channel was indicated by a light-house on the port side, and a light-ship on the starboard. The water in the vicinity was covered with fishing boats, from which men were engaged with lines, seines, and hoop-nets. Around the town are several islands, all of them fortified, some of them having three-story forts, and others extensive earthworks. In 1854 the Baltic squadron, under Sir Charles Napier, visited this locality, but made no attack, though the British vessels found a channel by which it was possible to pass the fortifications; but it has since been closed. The town, which contains a population of thirty-seven thousand (two thirds of it constituting the garrison), is built on an island, and is cut up by two canals, one leading to the "Merchants Harbor," and the other to the naval repairing dock South of the town is an immense harbor, capable of holding thousands of vessels.