Copenhagen

THE FREE PORT AND THE HARBOUR OF COPENHAGEN.

The G eographical situation of the Free P o rt is excellent. The com parative shallowness of the Baltic ports makes of it a natural transit place for the good s of the large transatlantic steamers. The distribution of good s is facilitated by the p e r­ fect system of steam -ferries connecting Copenhagen with Sweden and Norw ay on one side, and Funen, Jutland, and the whole of the European continent on the other; in ad d i­ tion to which there are the num erous lines of steamers to the Baltic and the North Sea. O ne of the small steamers which play all day between the Free P o rt and the old F larbour conveys us across the inner roads tow ards the custom house (the "T oldbod") of C op en ­ hagen. The beautiful prom enade of "Langelinie", w ith its fine old trees, is the first th ing to catch the eye. W here t h e * old part of the p rom enade joins the new part, which was form ed by the bu ild ing of the Free Port, we see a small, well p rotected harbour, full of pleasure boats of all descriptions. The yachting and row ing clubs of Copenhagen have their head -quarters here. The H arbou r authorities have construc­ ted a solid bu ild ing of iron and granite just below the p ro ­ menade, in which the row ing clubs have their boat sheds, cloak and bath room s. Across the roads comes the sound of h am ­ m ering from the busy eng ineering works of Burmeister & Wain on the island of Refshale, which em ploy some 1800 men. It was in this sh ip -y a rd that the late Czar A lexander III of Russia drove the first rivet of his new yacht, the "S tandard", which he did not live to see completed. This magnificent vessel, which cost about £ 500.000; was delivered in 1896 to his son, Czar N icholas II. That same summ er the y o u n g Czar

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