Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia

INUNDATIONS OF PETERSBURG.187

When the west wind drives back the waters of the lake, the channel which serves as its outlet remains almost diy, and then this beautiful spring is fully exposed. On sueh occasions, which are fortunately very rare, the inhabitants of Sehlusselburg know that Petersburg is under water. The news of such catastrophe never fails to reach them on the morrow ; for the same west wind which causes the reflux of the waters of Lake Ladoga, and leaves dry the channel of the Neva near its source, drives also, when it is violent, the waters of the Gulf of Finland into the mouth of the river. The course of this stream is therefore stopped, and the water, finding its passage obstructed by the sea, makes a way by overflowing Petersburg and its environs.

When I had sufficiently admired the site of Sehlusselburg, sufficiently siu`veyed, with a spy glass, the position of the battery which Peter the Great raised to bombard the strong fort of the Swedes, and sufficiently praised evei`y thing which scarcely interested me, I said, in the most careless manner imaginable, " Let us go and see the interior of the fortress: " — "its situation appears extremely picturesque," I added, a little less adroitly; for in matters of finesse it is, above all, necessary to avoid overdoing any thing. The Russian east upon me a serutinising look, of which I felt the full force. This diplomatic mathematician answered:

" The fortress, sir, possesses no object of curiosity for a foreigner."

" Never mind : every tiling is curious in so interesting a land as yours,"