Returning to the square, Dr. Winstock pointed down a street by the steamboat landing, which extended along the west shore of the bay. The driver understood him promptly, for this street led to the Botanical Gardens, which is a popular place of resort for the people. It was about a mile from the town, and on the arrival of the party a band was playing in front of a large building which contained a very handsome restaurant, sometimes used as a ball-room. The tourists entered this place, and seated themselves at one of the tables.
"What's the use of coming in here, when we can't speak a word of the lingo?" laughed Paul.
"I never go hungry for the want of language," replied the doctor, as a very polite waiter presented himself.
"Do you speak English?" he added to this man.
"Do you speak French?" asked the doctor in this language.
"_Ya; ein wenig; nicht fiel_," replied the man, a gleam of sunshine lighting up his face, when the difficulty seemed to be solved.
But his knowledge of German was exceedingly limited, though after several blunders he brought the lunch and coffee which the surgeon ordered. The feast consisted of the same "snack" which is served in Sweden--little fishes, thin slices of sausage, and of salmon, and the inevitable sandwich of _caviar_, or fish spawn. As in Sweden, the coffee was excellent; but none of the party had yet conquered their repugnance to the slimy _caviar_. When they had about finished the lunch, the attentive waiter appeared with half a dozen dishes of veal cutlets.
"What have you there?" asked the surgeon.
"_Kalbfleisch_,"--which means veal,--replied the waiter.
"No; I said _kalt Fleisch_," added the doctor; and Paul laughed heartily, though this was only a specimen of the blunders the man made.
The surgeon had called for _kalt Fleisch_, or cold meat, and the first word is not unlike _Kalb_.
"_Rechnung_," said Dr. Winstock, which means, "Bring me the bill;" as the French say, "_Addition_," for the same thing, and the Austrians, "_Bezahlen_."
The bill, which doubtless included the veal cutlets, was three marks, or sixty cents, for each person--a foretaste of Russian prices, dearer than in any other part of Europe. It was paid, and the party took a walk through the gardens, extending down to the sea-shore. It is simply a pleasant place, without being very attractive. A hill near the point of the peninsula commands a fine view of Sveaborg and the Gulf. There is an extensive bathing-house near the rocky shore. A trip among the islands in the vicinity is very agreeable, and little steamers may be chartered for such excursions at three rubles an hour. The party returned to the town, and drove to the landing-place, where they were fortunate enough to find Professor Badois, to act as interpreter in paying the drosky fares; for however bland the drivers were in their manners, they were evidently familiar with the tricks of their craft.