Northern Lands; Or, Young America in Russia and PrussiaOptic, Oliver
General
Northern Lands; Or, Young America in Russia and Prussia
Optic, Oliver
Prussia (Germany) -- Description and travel -- Juvenile fiction; Russia -- Description and travel -- Juvenile fiction
But his knowledge of German was exceedingly limited, though after
several blunders he brought the lunch and coffee which the surgeon
ordered. The feast consisted of the same "snack" which is served in
Sweden--little fishes, thin slices of sausage, and of salmon, and the
inevitable sandwich of _caviar_, or fish spawn. As in Sweden, the
coffee was excellent; but none of the party had yet conquered their
repugnance to the slimy _caviar_. When they had about finished the
lunch, the attentive waiter appeared with half a dozen dishes of veal
cutlets.
"What have you there?" asked the surgeon.
"_Kalbfleisch_,"--which means veal,--replied the waiter.
"I did not order it."
"_Ja, mein herr._"
"No; I said _kalt Fleisch_," added the doctor; and Paul laughed
heartily, though this was only a specimen of the blunders the man made.
The surgeon had called for _kalt Fleisch_, or cold meat, and the first
word is not unlike _Kalb_.
"_Rechnung_," said Dr. Winstock, which means, "Bring me the bill;" as
the French say, "_Addition_," for the same thing, and the Austrians,
"_Bezahlen_."
The bill, which doubtless included the veal cutlets, was three marks,
or sixty cents, for each person--a foretaste of Russian prices, dearer
than in any other part of Europe. It was paid, and the party took a
walk through the gardens, extending down to the sea-shore. It is simply
a pleasant place, without being very attractive. A hill near the point
of the peninsula commands a fine view of Sveaborg and the Gulf. There
is an extensive bathing-house near the rocky shore. A trip among the
islands in the vicinity is very agreeable, and little steamers may
be chartered for such excursions at three rubles an hour. The party
returned to the town, and drove to the landing-place, where they were
fortunate enough to find Professor Badois, to act as interpreter in
paying the drosky fares; for however bland the drivers were in their
manners, they were evidently familiar with the tricks of their craft.
The several ship's companies went on board at once. The next morning
the squadron sailed for Wyborg, where she arrived after a day and a
night at sea, though the steamers make the trip in twelve hours.
Twelve versts from the town, the vessels passed into the harbor, which
is an extensive bay, through a narrow passage, on both sides of which
were vast piles of lumber, from which craft of all sizes and kinds
were loading. Off the town the squadron came to anchor, but no one was
permitted to go on shore until after the recitations in the afternoon.
CHAPTER VII.
WYBORG AND THE SECOND DEGREE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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