Baltic RussiaHarper's New Monthly Magazine, July 1890, Henry Lansdell

THE HERMANN TOWER AT REVEL.

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 Continued from 306 The churches mentioned thus far are Protestant, as are more than nine-tenths probably of the inhabitants of the Baltic provinces; but there are in Revel four 307 Russo-Greek churches for the 15,000 members of that confession, a Roman Catholic chapel, a Jews’ synagogue, and, it is said, a Mohammedan mosque. One may see, therefore, at Revel, beside the Lettish and Esthonian pastors, the usual staff of Russian clergy—the bishop, wearing his crape-covered hat and imperial decorations, whilst carrying a walking-staff of episcopal proportions; the protopope, or dean, in velvet hat without brim; and the ordinary parish priest and his deacon, in the old-fashioned “beaver” or low-crowned felt—but all of them carrying out the rule of the Nazarite in suffering no razor to come upon their heads.

After visiting the principal buildings of Revel proper, we returned to Catherinenthal, and took a pleasant evening walk through the park to the sea-side. Next morning, after bidding adieu to Mr. Kapoustine, who was kind enough to give us some valuable introductions to dignitaries in St. Petersburg and Moscow, we started by rail for the former capital. Had time hung on our hands, we might have visited some of the small towns and watering-places along the coast of the Gulf of Finland, such as Baltic Port and Hapsal, which two, with Revel, are the principal ports in Esthonia for foreign commerce; Merrekul, where was staying Captain De Livron1, who took me away from Siberia in 1879 in his man-of-war; and the ancient Narva, with its quaint sixteenth-century houses. At this last place is one of the largest cotton-mills in Russia, as described by Mr. Gallenga, who had given me an introduction to the manager.

But we had many miles before us, and accordingly pushed on to St. Petersburg. There we arrived on the last evening of July, and soon afterward went forward to Finland, the land of a thousand lakes, and the lake of a thousand isles.