UNDER PETER THE GREAT

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intercourse between the Palus Mæotis and PontusEuxinus. But these things are mentioned, enpassant , only to introduce an account of the Tsar’smaritime achievements on the Baltic and at hisbeloved St. Petersburg; of more importance to beknown as more immediately affecting the politicalinterests on this side of Europe.

II. FIRST CONTACT WITH THE SWEDES INTHE BALTIC SEA.

In 1703 the Russians, after some resistance,took and razed to the ground Nyenskans, a smalltown and garrison, about a league higher than [St.]Petersburg now stands, disposing the inhabitantsinto distant parts of Russia. A squadron ofSwedish ships of war arriving at the Island Retusari, 1now Kronslot, ignorant of the fate of Nyenskans,dispatched a snow of 12, and a longboat with 4

1 Retusari was the Finnish name of Kotlina Island (Erschand Gruber, Allgemeine Encydopddie, 40th part, Leipzig, 1886,p. 86). The author of the MS. never uses the name Kronstadt,but always Kronslot. The latter was really the name of a fort ona shoal south of the island (see post III.). ‘ A narrow streak of seaoccupies the space between this island and a sandbank on which anold fort, Kronslot or Kron-schloss, commanded the only passage toSt. Petersburg. With sounding lead in hand the Tsar himselfexamined the depth of water and the nature of the bottom, inorder to carry out in the most suitable position new works for thedefence of the new capital [St. Petersburg] and his future Balticfleet.’ ‘Building materials had been brought over the firmlycompacted ice. Immense boxes, 30 feet long, 15 broad and 10deep, had been made and, when filled with stones, had been letdown into the sea so as to form a firm foundation. . . . Oppositethe castle two batteries were erected on the shores of KotlinaIsland. In 1710 there first arose on the eastern part of theisland the future Kronstadt, which however received the nameonly in 1721, being in the mean time, as well as the Castle, calledKronslot,’ &c. (Herrmann, Geschichte des russischen Staates \Hamburg, 1849; vol. iv. pp. 160-2).