"That's St. Isaac's Cathedral," replied Dr. Winstock. "And you see blue, green, and white domes."
"There is one with stars on it."
"A very common decoration," added the doctor, as the steamer entered the Great Neva.
At the city the river divides into several branches, and forms half a dozen large islands, and some forty smaller ones, on which a portion of the town is built. The southern branch is called the Great Neva, on which are most of the landing-places of the steamers. Another branch is called the Little Neva, and the two on the north are the Great and Little Nevka.
"This is the English Quay," continued the surgeon, pointing to the right as the steamer approached the long iron bridge, which takes the name of Nicholas, in whose reign it was built, and is eleven hundred feet long.
"This seems to be about the end of this cruise," added Lincoln, as he glanced at the bridge.
"The steamer stops at this floating stage on the left; but there is a draw in the bridge, by which vessels may go up into Lake Ladoga."
The boat came up to the stage, on which was a house. Mr. Fluxion, the first vice-principal, was there, for he had been sent up the day before to make the arrangements for the visit. A dozen omnibuses stood in the broad street, in and on which the students bestowed themselves. The surgeon and the commodore took places with a driver. The two horses at the pole were harnessed as in America; but on the nigh side was a third horse attached to the carriage by an extra whiffletree. Some of the omnibuses had four horses, but they were all abreast. The two wheel horses were driven by four reins, while the outsiders had only a single rein. Half a dozen commissionaires, who spoke very indifferent English, had been engaged, and one of them was with the surgeon. The procession started, and crossed the Nicholas Bridge, near which is the English Church. At the north end of it is the Academy of Arts, an immense structure, which conveys a good idea of the general size and splendor of the public buildings of the city.
Turning to the left, after crossing the bridge, passing Nicholas Palace, the Senate, and Synod, the line entered St. Isaac's Square, in the middle of which stands the church, one of the most imposing in the world. Admiralty Square is opposite, in which is the equestrian statue of Peter the Great. The great Czar is represented as reining in his horse at the verge of a precipice. The artist modelled his design from a bold Russian officer, who rode a spirited Arabian steed up an artificial slope. The horse is gracefully poised on his hind feet, beneath which is a serpent, emblematic of the difficulties that Peter overcame. The tail of the animal appears to rest lightly on the serpent, but is in reality part of the support of the figure. The rock upon which the statue is elevated was brought from a Finnish village, four miles from the city, and weighs fifteen hundred tons. It is forty-three feet long, fourteen feet high, and twenty feet wide.