This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1839 edition. ... CHAPTER XXVII. THE EMPEROU'S NAVAL PROJECTS, AND THEIR DANGER TO ENGLAND. What is England doing ?--Naval statistics of Russia--The Baltic fleet--That of the Black Sea--Of the Caspian--Steamers--Danger from the numerical strength of her marine--Otherwise no great cause for alarm--The Russian revenues not fit for such continued outlay--Rotten ships--Naval projects condemned by the emperor's ministers--Service not liked--Spirit of the sailors-- Their bravery -- Docility -- Admiral Krusenstern--Officers in spurs--Russian sailors only bad soldiers--Their awkwardness-- Ships run ashore--Officers mast-headed--Emperor's severity to them, and consequent unpopularity--Amusements of his young cadets at Peterhof--Childishness and cruelty of the system--Parade of Peter the Great's boat--More care now taken in building ships--The Russia--Visit to the College Tor Naval Cadets-- Annual expenses of the whole Russian navy--Necessity for preparations in England--Efficacy of Lord Durham's remonstrances-- Engagement with the Swedes--Reflections--England has nothing to fear in the event of a war with the emperor--His weakness-- Folly and criminality of the present clamour for war. We have stated at a former page--more ingenuously perhaps than wisely--the extreme vexation which we felt while passing through the Baltic fleet at sea. What right have they--was the question which rose petulantly to our lips--what right have the Russians to so many fine ships ?" Children of the Desert," who, a hundred years ago, scarcely knew that there was a sea, and had not on their abominable swamps a ferry-boat that their tzar could sit dry in, nor a carpenter to patch it, till he himself gave them a lesson! Let England answer the question -- England, which has witnessed the...