"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. Cronstadt is Russia's principal naval station, and contains vast manufactories and storehouses belonging to the government. Scores of old seventy-four gun ships, built of wood, and now practically useless for modern warfare, are laid up here. The town is the port of St. Petersburg, seventeen miles distant and all large vessels are obliged to discharge and load here, though most of the steamers from foreign countries run up to the city. The bar of the River Neva has only from eight to ten feet of water. The squadron ran into Merchants' Harbor, and came to anchor there. Within it, vessels were loading and unloading at the very doors of the warehouses. The students were allowed to land at once, but there was little to be seen in the town, which is simply a commercial place, though the government buildings are lofty and substantial structures. A better idea of the fortifications was, however, obtained, and the boys realized that St. Petersburg was safe from capture by sea, until something even more terrible than iron-clads should be invented. CHAPTER VIII. THE LECTURE ON RUSSIA.