ooked in another direction, and kept my eyes faithfully closed from
the very beginning. The question now occurred to me, Would I not be
justified by the law of nations in breaking the blockade? It was now
or never. If they once commenced dressing, farewell to hope! Well, I
did it. Heaven only knows how I got through the terrible ordeal. I
only remember that desperation gave strength and speed to my limbs,
and I ran with incredible velocity. A moment of terrible confusion
ensued as I grasped at my scattered habiliments. There came a scream
of laughter from the wicked naiads who were sporting in the waves. I
fled over the hills--my bundle in my arms--and never once stopped till
I reached a small valley about half a mile distant. Breathless,
mortified, and bewildered at the oddity of the adventure. I hurriedly
dressed, and walked back to town. Arrived at my hotel, I called for a
bottle of schnapps, retired to my room, locked the door, and
fervently ejaculated, "'All's well that ends well!' Here's to the
ladies of Helsingfors! But if ever you catch me in such a scrape
again, my name's not Browne!"

CHAPTER XXIII.

ABO--FINLAND.

I was strongly inclined to spend several weeks in Helsingfors. The
bathing is delightful, and the manners and customs of the people are
primitive and interesting. My adventure on the sea-shore, as I soon
discovered, was nothing uncommon. I mentioned the matter to my
landlady--a Finnish woman of very sociable manners, who spoke a little
English. I asked her if it was customary for the ladies to dispense
with bathing-dresses. She said they generally wore something when they
bathed in public, but beyond the limits of the regular bath-houses, at
the end of the Botanical Gardens, they seldom troubled themselves
about matters of that kind; in fact, they preferred going in without
any obstruction, because "they could swim so much better."

Having procured my passport at the Bureau of the Police, I took
passage in a Swedish steamer bound for Abo and Stockholm. Next morning
by daylight the steamer arrived from St. Petersburg. I went on board,
and in a few hours more the fortifications of Sweaborg were dim in the
distance.

The accommodations on board the Swedish steamers are excellent. I took
passage in the second cabin, for the sake of economy, and found every
thing as clean and comfortable as I could desire. The waiters are
polite and attentive, the fare is good, and the company quiet and
re