The island that lies at the mouth of the Neva will be fortified, and become a great naval arsenal and fort.

Along the walls which will rise here will be unloaded the merchandise of Europe, and in exchange the ships will carry away our products.
Some day we shall have another port on the south, but for the present this must suffice.

You will say that this is dangerously near our frontier, but that will soon be remedied.

As we have pushed the Swedes out of Ingria, so in time shall we drive them from Livonia on the west, and from Finland on the north.
"But I must to work." And he motioned to a group of five or six officers, who had been standing a short distance away, to approach him.
Charlie was struck with the air of humility with which they saluted his companion, who at once asked a number of questions as to the supplies that had arrived, the progress that had been made, at a point where they had met with a deep slough into which the piles had penetrated without meeting with any firm ground, the number of huts that had been erected during the past three days for the reception of labourers, the state of stocks of meat and flour, and other particulars.

To each he gave short, sharp orders.