hite. Here in the olden time Gustavus Vasa, Eric XIV., and John III.
held royal court. The streets are few but very broad, which causes
the town to cover an area quite out of proportion to the number of
its inhabitants. The buildings are all modern, as the fire-fiend
destroyed nearly the entire place so late as 1827, when nine hundred
buildings and over were consumed within the space of a few hours.

The Russian Chapel is a conspicuous and characteristic building, and
so is the Astronomical Observatory, situated on the highest eminence
in the town. This structure has lately been converted into a
scientific school. Crowds of pupils were filing out of its doors just
as we made fast to the shore in full view. The cathedral is an object
of some interest, and contains many curious relics. Abo however is a
very quiet little town, whose glory has departed since it ceased in
1819 to be the political capital of Finland. It formerly boasted a
University, but that institution and its large library were swept
away by the fire already mentioned.

Helsingfors is situated still farther up the Gulf, facing the ancient
town of Revel on the Esthonian coast, and is reached from Abo in
about twelve hours' sail, also through a labyrinth of islands so
numerous as to be quite confusing, but whose picturesqueness and
beauty will not easily be forgotten. This is the present capital of
Finland, and it contains from fifty to fifty-five thousand
inhabitants, but has several times been partially destroyed by
plague, famine, and fire. It was founded by Gustavus Vasa of Sweden,
in the sixteenth century. The University is represented to be of a
high standard of excellence, and contains a library of about two
hundred thousand volumes. A gentleman who was himself a graduate of
the institution and a fellow passenger on the steamer, entertained us
with an interesting account of the educational system enforced here.
The present number of students exceeds seven hundred, and there are
forty professors attached to the institution, which is the oldest
university in Russia, having been founded as far back as 1640. It is
interesting to recall the fact that printing was not introduced into
Finland until a year later.

The most striking feature of Helsingfors as one approaches it from
the sea is the large Greek Church with its fifteen domes and
minarets, each capped by a glittering cross and crescent with pendant
chains in gilt, and as it is built upon high gro