The Russian naval base Kronstadt in 1812 according to a description of J.T. James

In an earlier note on this weblog I wrote about the Russian naval bases and yards at Cherson and Nikolaef in 1813, using a published letter of Reginald Heber.(1) Thanks to a account of his journey made in 1812-1813 by J.T. James, there is more information available dealing with this topic. James visited Cronstadt and arrived there the 1st of June.

P. 112: "It is a naval station, situated conveniently enough for the protection of Petersburg, at about 10 leagues distance: there are two passages which lead to the mouth of

p. 113: the Neva, one of the north, the other on the south, both commanded by islands strongly fortified. Of these the fort of Cronslot is the most considerable: its is formed by a pentagonal rampart, rising directly from the water, with two tier of embrasures for cannon; the whole constructed in solid masonry of granite, of which material, indeed, all works are now renewed that were originally built by Peter I of wood. The arsenal and docks of Cronstadt are similarly fortified towards the sea, having the appearance of great strength; though on the side of the west, looking to the remaining part of the island, the place is very slenderly defended. The display of shipping was not very large: about 30 English vessels lay in the Merchant's Mole; on the other side were eight sail of line, and one more was in dock; but to complete the exhibition, the fleet now on its voyage from England was expected to arrive in the course of the

p. 114: month. We saw the camels which are used for the ships launched at the docks of Petersburg, in order to enable them to surmount the bar at the river mouth: they consisted of two immense wooden caissons, made to fit on each side, so as to embrace the hull of the ship; for that purpose they are filled with water, then sunk, and grappled on; this done, the water is pumped out, and the whole mass buoyed up together, so as to lessen the draught by many feet. These machines are not unique of their kind; the same are in use at Hamburgh, and they were adopted in a certain way by the French at Venice, to carry their ships over the lagunes, with their ordnance and ammunition on board, at the time they were in danger from the activity of the English cruisers in the vicinity".

[Ron ed:What James doesn't write is that camels were since the 17th century common use in the Netherlands, for instance for East Indiamen and Dutch warships to reach or depart Amsterdam due to the shallowness at Pampus. They were invented by Meeuwis Meindertsz Bakker who succeeded in April 1690 with success transporting the Prinses Maria over Pampus into the Zuiderzee. The 1st charter 3-decker Prinses Maria, also called Prinses van Oranje belonged to the admiralty Amsterdam, built by Simon Jans Lis at naval yard at Amsterdam 1683, sold to be broken up for parts 1708, dimensions 170 x 43 x 16, 92 guns, 500 men.]

"The docks at Cronstadt are cut in the shape of a cross, with a bason in the centre: each of the three arms is made capable of receiving two ships, one ahead of the

p. 115: other, the fourth being left clear for the entrance: the whole was lined wit granite, and provided with the requisite apparatus of pumps. The construction of their ships is not a charge of so light a nature to the Russian government as might be expected, except in the case of those furnished from the dockyard at Archangel, which are entirely of fir; but oak is used at Cronstadt, and is very expensive, on account of the distance whence it is brought, coming chiefly from the province of Casan. The actual cost to government I have no means of ascertaining: the merchant vessels are generally calculated about 100 R. per ton: which is cheap in comparison of what is generally paid in England, but not so low as might be supposed on the coast of the Baltic, from the traffic that in some parts has occasionally been carried on in the article of ship-building. Complaints are raised here also, as with us, of the defective nature of the timber employed in the dock-yards: their ships last, on an ave-

p. 116: rage of fourteen years; nevertheless, in one of two instances, they have been condemned and broken up after a service of only four. Its is remarkable that the timber of many of the old wooden dwellings, built in the time of Peter the Great, have frequently been found perfectly sound, even to the day of their being pulled own, appearing, even now, much more likely to resist decay than any that have been used within the last twenty or thirty years. It may be said, however, and perhaps with truth, that only those houses where the timber was originally of the best quality have thus defied the lapse of years, and remained for the inspection of succeeding architects."

Source

Journal of a tour in Germany, Sweden, Russia, Poland; during the years 1813-1814 by J.T. James, vol. II 2nd edition. London, 1817.

Note

1. "Russian naval shipbuilding at Cherson and Nikolaef in 1812 according to a letter of Reginald Heber".