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CHAPTER XX.
SITKA RECAPTURED.
1803-1805.
Before proceeding further with the narrative of
Baranof’s operations, it is necessary to give some account of an expedition
which had previously sailed from St Petersburg. While he was yet smarting under
the loss inflicted by the savages of Sitka, and looking about in vain for men
and means to avenge himself, a young naval officer in that city was setting in
motion a chain of events that were destined to aid in the accomplishment of the
chief manager’s wishes.
During the years 1798-9, Lieutenant Krusenstern, of
the Russian navy, sailed for Canton on board an English merchant vessel, for
the purpose of becoming acquainted with the navigation of the China Sea. There
he noticed the arrival of an English trading vessel from the American coast,
and the disposal of her cargo of furs for 60,000 piastres. On his return to
Russia, Krusenstern presented a memorial to the minister of marine, proposing
the despatch direct from Kronstadt to the Russian
American colonies of two ships, fitted with all the material needed for the
construction and equipment of vessels, and having on board a force of
shipwrights and skilled workmen, and a supply of charts, instruments, and
nautical works.
The trade with China was then conducted by way of
Okhotsk and Kiakhta, thus entailing a loss in time of
more than two years with each cargo. If suitable vessels could be built on the
American coast, or the adjacent islands, furs shipped thence direct to Canton,
the proceeds expended in the purchase of Chinese goods for shipment to Russia,
the vessels touching at Manila, Batavia, or some port in the East Indies to
complete their freight, a commerce might be developed which erelong would place
the Russian American Company beyond the competition of the English and Dutch
East India companies.
Such was Krusenstern’s project; and though, as he says, there was nothing novel about the idea, it
does not seem to have occurred to the managers of the company. The memorial met
with the approval of the minister of marine, who discussed the matter with the
minister of commerce; and within a few months, the young officer was summoned
to St Petersburg, and, much to his astonishment, informed that the emperor had
selected him to carry his own plan into execution.
Captain Lisiansky, who had served with Krusenstern on
board the English fleet during the American war of independence, was appointed
second in command, and to him was intrusted the
purchase of suitable vessels. Two ships, renamed the Nadeshda,
or Hope, and the Neva, secured in London for £17,000 sterling,
and an additional sum of £5,000 was immediately expended for repairs. On their
arrival at Kronstadt further repairs were found necessary, and it was not until
late in the summer of 1803 that the expedition was ready for sea.
Meanwhile Krusenstern was informed that advantage
would be taken of the opportunity to despatch an
embassy to Japan, with a view to opening the ports of that country to Russian
commerce. Rezanof was appointed ambassador, and was intrusted with an autograph letter addressed by the tzar to the mikado, and with presents
for that dignitary. To Rezanof was probably due, in part, the favor with which Krusenstern’s project was regarded, for, as we have seen,
he had great influence at court. Moreover, the dowry of his wife, who had died
soon after her marriage, was entirely invested in the stock of the Russian
American Company.
About a month before the departure of the expedition,
the commander had the honor of receiving the tzar on board his vessel. “The
object of his visit,” says Krusenstern, “ was to see the two ships which were
to carry the Russian flag for the first time round the world—an event which,
after a hundred years’ improvement in Russia, was reserved for the reign of
Alexander. He noticed everything with the greatest attention, as well with the
ships themselves as with the different articles which were brought from England
for the voyage. He conversed with the commanders, and attended for some time
with pleasure to the work which was going on on board
the ship.”
On the 7th of August, exactly one year after
Krusenstern had received his appointment, the vessels sailed from Kronstadt,
supplied with two or three years’ provisions, and having on board a hundred and
thirty-nine persons. The Neva was placed in charge of Lisiansky, while
on board the Nadeshda were the commander, the
ambassador and his suite, the naturalist Langsdorff,
and two sons of the counsellor Kotzebue, one of whom afterward became famous as
an explorer in the north-west.
As only one ship was allowed by the mikado to call
yearly at Japan,6 it was arranged that they should part company at the Sandwich
Islands, the Nadeshda sailing for Japan,
thence for Kadiak, and afterward for Kamchatka, there to winter, while the Neva sailed direct for the harbor of Three Saints. In the following summer both were
to proceed to «Canton freighted with furs, and after taking in a cargo of
Chinese wares to return to Kronstadt.
After calling at Copenhagen and Falmouth, the vessels
sailed for the island of Teneriffe, and thence for
Santa Catharina, on the coast of Brazil, where they were repaired and refitted.
Here disputes broke out between the members of the embassy and the naval
commanders, Rezanof attempting to control the movements of the expedition by
virtue of his rank and social position. In April 1804 the two ships rounded
Cape Horn. Explorations among the South Sea Islands caused further delay, and
it was not until the second week in June that the expedition sailed from the
Hawaiian Islands. The programme of the voyage was now
somewhat altered, the Nadeshda, before
proceeding to Japan, steering for Petropavlovsk, where for the present we will
leave her, while the Neva was headed for Kadiak.
On the 13th of July, 1804, Lisiansky sighted Pavlovsk,
or, as we shall now call it, St Paul Harbor, where he thus describes his
reception: “Shortly after midnight, two large leathern boats came to our
assistance, in consequence of a letter I had sent the day before, by means of a
small bidarka, to announce our arrival, in one of which was Captain Bander,
deputy commander of the Russian establishment here. The weather was so thick
and dark that he found us merely by the noise we made in furling our sails. His
stay with us was short, but he left his pilot on board, who brought the vessel
into the harbor about two o’clock in the afternoon. On passing the fort, we
were saluted by eleven guns; and as soon as the anchor was down, Mr. Bander
returned, accompanied by several Russians, who were eager to congratulate us on
our happy arrival. It is not easy to express what I felt on this occasion.
Being the first Russian that had hitherto performed so long and tedious a
voyage, a degree of religious fervor mixed itself with the delight and
satisfaction of my mind.”
Lisiansky hoped that his hardships for that year at
least were over, and that he would have time to repair and refit after his long
voyage; but no sooner had he landed, than Banner placed in his hands a
communication from Baranof relating the destruction of the Sitka settlement,
and begging assistance in conquering the savages and rebuilding the fort.
Convinced of the importance of recovering this point, he complied at once with
the request. Only the most necessary repairs were made, and after being detained
for a few days by unfavorable weather, the Neva sailed from Kadiak on
the 15th of August, and five days later entered Sitka Sound, where the Alexandr’ and Ekaterina were found at anchor, awaiting the arrival of Baranof, who
was then engaged in a hunting expedition. From one of the officers it was
ascertained that the natives had taken up their position on a bluff, a few
miles distant, where they had fortified themselves, and were resolved to try
issue with the Russians.
Relating his impressions of the surrounding country,
Lisiansky says: “On our entrance into Sitca Sound to
the place where we now were, there was not to be seen on the shore the least
vestige of habitation. Nothing presented itself to our view but impenetrable
woods reaching from the water-side to the very tops of the mountains. I never
saw a country so wild and gloomy; it appeared more adapted for the residence of
wild beasts than of men.”
On the 25th of August, the chief manager sailed from
Yakutat on board the Yermak, and on the following day
his boats and bidarkas entered Ledianof Sound. A
swift current runs by these shores, and great care was needed to keep the
vessels on their course. Moreover, the fog which overhangs the sound at all
seasons of the year completely hid the boats from sight. A strong tide was
setting in, which carried the Yermak away from
the remainder of the flotilla, and soon all the vessels were rapidly closing in
with the shore. Presently the wind calmed, the sails hung to the mast, the
boats would not obey the rudder, and the depth of water prevented them from
anchoring. There appeared to be no hope of keeping off the beach, where the
Kolosh might be upon them at any moment. “There was nothing to be done,” says Khlebnikof, “but to leave everything to providence.”
The chief manager preserved the greatest calmness, and
by his demeanor inspired his frightened men with some confidence. Thus
encouraged, their exertions never relaxed, and from time to time they would
obtain glimpses of each other through the fog, as they continued to keep off
the dreaded shore. Baranof writes of this incident: “What a position to be in;
working desperately to hold our own between steep cliffs and rapid currents! At
last the tide turned, and we were drawn toward the opposite shore. At the same
time a breeze sprung up and allowed the hoisting of sail, while the fog
dispersed. But nothing seemed to be in our favor that day. Soon the breeze
freshened into a gale, threatening the expedition with another danger. The
ships barely escaped stranding, as they tacked frequently and cleared the
strait in the teeth of the storm. The bidarkas were scattered over the sound,
and some sought shelter under the rocks, trusting rather to the protection of
providence from . the savages than risking exposure to the merciless elements.
Finally the prayers of so many anxious souls were heard, and with almost
superhuman exertion a sheltered bay was reached, and the boats anchored, the Rostislaf coming in last. The Yermak had lost a skiff, the Rostislaf a considerable
part of her rigging, while one of the bidarkas went down in the storm.”
Without further incident worthy of mention, Baranof
arrived at Sitka Sound on the 19th of September, and on the following day went
on board the Neva to consult with Lisiansky. “Hearing nothing,” writes the
latter, “of the hunters who had been separated in the gale, an armed vessel was
on the 23d sent in search of them, and everything in the mean time prepared for
their reception, in a small bay opposite to us. At eight o’clock in the
evening, sixty bidarkas belonging to this party, among whom were twenty Russians,
arrived, under the command of Mr Kooskoff,
who, on passing us, fired a salute of muskets, in answer to which I ordered two
rockets to be sent up. Expecting more of these bidarkas in the course of the
night, we hung out a lantern to each top-gallant mast-head of our vessel.
“The next morning, as soon as it was light, observing
the shore to the extent of three hundred yards completely covered with the
hunting-boats, we sent our launch armed with four swivels, to cruise on the
sound, to prevent them from being attacked by the Sitcans;
and shortly after I went with some of my officers on shore, where the picture
that presented itself to our view was new to us.
“Of the numerous families of hunters several had
already fixed their tents; others were busy in erecting them. Some were hanging
up their clothes to dry, some kindling a fire, some cooking victuals; some
again, overcome with fatigue, had stretched themselves on the ground,
expecting, amidst this clash of sounds and hum of men, to take a little repose;
whilst at a distance boats were seen arriving every moment, and by adding to
the numbers, increasing the interest of the scene. On coming out of the barge
we were met by at least five hundred of these, our new countrymen, among whom
were many toyons.”
On the 28th of September the united squadron moved out
of Krestovsky Bay, the Neva being towed by
over one hundred canoes. In the evening an anchorage was found near the high
bluff upon which the Sitkans’ stronghold was situated. All night the weird song
of the chaman was heard by the Russians, but no
opposition was offered, when on michaelmas day of
1804 Baranof and his party landed near the site of the modern town of Sitka.
At dusk an envoy from the Kolosh came to the Russians
with friendly overtures. He was told that conditions of peace could be made
only with the chiefs. The next morning he reappeared in company with a hostage,
whom he delivered up, but received the same answer. At noon thirty armed
savages approached, and halting just beyond musket-shot, commenced to parley.
Baranof’s terms were that the Russians should be allowed to retain permanent
possession of the bluff, and that two additional hostages should be given. To
this the Kolosh would not consent, and soon afterward withdrew, being warned
through the interpreters that the ships would be immediately moved close to
their fort, and that they had only themselves to blame for what might follow.
On the 1st of October four of the ships were drawn up
in line before the enemy’s fort, in readiness for action, and a white flag
hoisted on board the Neva. As no response was made, the order was given to open
fire, and Lieutenant Arbusof, with two boats and a
field-piece, was instructed to destroy the canoes which lay on the beach, and
to set fire to a large barn near the shore, which was supposed to be the
storehouse of the Kolosh. Finding that he could do little damage in his boats, Arbusof landed and marched toward the fort, whereupon
Baranof went to his support with a hundred and fifty men and several guns. The
surrounding woods were so dense that the two parties could not see each other
as they advanced; their progress was slow, and night was upon them when they
reached the stronghold. Meanwhile the savages remained perfectly quiet, except
that occasionally a musket-shot was fired, probably as a signal. Mistaking this
inaction for timidity, Baranof rashly ordered his men to carry the fort by
storm. He was met by the savages in a compact body, and a well-directed fire
was opened on his men, causing a stampede among the natives, who were dragging
along the guns. Left with a mere handful of sailors and promyshleniki, the
commander was forced to retire. The Kolosh then rushed forth in pursuit. The
Russians fought gallantly, and succeeded in saving their field-pieces, though
with the loss of ten killed and twenty-six wounded, among the latter being the
chief manager, who was shot through the arm with a musket-ball. As they neared
the shore, their retreat was covered by the guns of the flotilla, but for which
circumstance it is probable that none would have escaped, and that Baranof’s
career would now have been brought to a close.
The following day Lisiansky was requested by Baranof
to take charge of the expedition. He at once opened a brisk fire on the fort.
In the afternoon, messengers were sent by the Kolosh to sue for peace, with the
promise to give as hostages some members of the most prominent families, and to
liberate all the Kadiak natives who were detained as prisoners. The overture
was favorably received, and on this and the three following days a number of
hostages were delivered into the hands of the Russians. Meanwhile the
evacuation of the fort was demanded, and to show that he was in earnest,
Lisiansky moved bis ship farther in shore. To this the chief toyon consented
after a brief negotiation.
On the morning of the 6th, an interpreter was sent to
ask whether the Kolosh were ready to abandon their stronghold. He was answered
that they would do so at high water. At noon the tide was at its height, and as
there was no sign of preparation for departure, the savages were again hailed,
and no answer being returned, fire was opened from the Neva. During the day a
raft was constructed, on which the guns could be brought close up to the fort.
Toward evening two large canoes appeared, one of them belonging to an old man, “who,”
says Lisiansky, “like another Charon, had in general brought the hostages to
us.” He was advised to return and persuade his countrymen to retire at once if
they valued their safety. To this he consented, and it was arranged that if he
were successful, it should be made known to the Russians by a certain signal.
Two or three hours later the signal was heard and was answered by a cheer from
those on board the vessels. Then far into the night a strange chant was wafted
on the still air from the encampment of the savages, expressing their relief,
as the interpreters said, that now their lives were no longer in peril.
But the chant had other significance. At daylight no
sound was heard from shore, nor was any living creature in sight, save flocks
of carrion birds hovering around the fort. The Kolosh had fled to the woods,
and within the stronghold lay the dead bodies of their children, slaughtered
lest their cries should betray the lurking place of the fugitives. The fortress
was then burned to the ground, and the construction of magazines was
immediately commenced, together with spacious barracks and a residence for the
chief manager. The buildings were surrounded with a stockade, block-houses
being erected at each corner, and a stronghold was thus formed that was
believed to be impregnable against the attacks of the Kolosh. To this
settlement was given the name of Novo Arkhangelsk. Under the bluff were
anchored all the vessels, with the exception of the despatch boat Rostislaf and the Neva, both of
which sailed for Kadiak, Lisiansky purposing to winter there, and after taking
in supplies, to return in the spring to Sitka Sound, whence he proposed to sail
for Canton.
During his stay in Kadiak, Lisiansky visited several
of the settlements on that island, concerning which he gives some interesting
details. The entire population apart from the Russians he estimates at only
four thousand,18 and remarks that according to the report of the oldest
inhabitants it had decreased by one half since the arrival of the Russians. The
wholesale mortality which had thus prevailed since Shelikof landed there in
1784 was mainly due to diseases introduced by the invaders, and to the severe
toil and hardship to which the natives were exposed during the long hunting
expeditions required of them by their task-masters. Other causes were the
destruction of the sea-otter, on which they had been accustomed to rely for
food during winter, and their neglect to lay in a stock of dried salmon for the
season of scarcity. In winter and early spring the islanders lived mainly on
shell-fish, and this in a country where, between the months of May and October,
salmon could be taken out of the rivers by hand, and sea-bears could catch them
in their paws so easily that they devoured only the head, and threw away the
remainder.
On visiting Igak on the 24th
of March, 1805, Lisiansky reports that he found all the people in search of
shell-fish along the beach, only the young children being left in the eleven
filthy barabaras which formed that settlement. “After
dinner,” he writes, “the chief with his wife came to pay me a visit. On
entering my room they crossed themselves several times, and then sat down on
the floor and begged snuff. In the course of conversation their poverty was
mentioned, when I endeavored to convince them that their extreme indolence was
the cause of it; and I suggested various ways by which they might improve their
situation and render life more comfortable. I advised them to build better
habitations, to lay in regularly a sufficient stock of winter provisions, which
they almost always neglect to attend more to the article of cleanliness, and
lastly, to cultivate different culinary plants near their houses, by which they
would be relieved from the trouble of collecting wild roots and herbs, which
were neither so palatable nor so nutritious.”
At Killuda Bay, a few versts
south-west of Igak, Lisiansky landed at a settlement,
“in which,” he says, “we found only women and children, the men belonging to
it having been absent with Baranof since the preceding spring. Not having laid
in provisions in sufficient quantity for the winter, these poor wretches were
literally half starved. Wishing to afford them what was in my power, I
distributed among them the stock of dried fish I had in the boats, and left
this abode of wretchedness with no very pleasurable sensations. It was indeed a
heart-rending scene to see these emaciated beings crawling out of their huts to
thank me for the trifling relief I had afforded them. Though the weather was
the next morning very disagreeable, I went to Drunkard’s Bay, where I witnessed
the same meagre traits of poverty. Of the inhabitants I purchased several
curiosities, consisting of images dressed in different forms. The best were cut
out of bone. They are used here as dolls. Indeed, the women who have no
children keep them, I was told, to represent the wished-for infant offspring,
and amuse themselves with them, as if they were real infants.
“On the 1st of April we proceeded to the harbor of
Three Saints, where we arrived in the afternoon. In our way we visited a
village called the Fugitive, which was in a thriving condition. The inhabitants
appeared much healthier than those of Ihack or Killuden, and lived better. On our arrival, the chief’s
wife brought us a basin of berries, mixed with rancid whale oil, begging us to
refresh ourselves. This delicate mess, produced at a time when the berries are
not in season, is regarded by the islanders as no small proof of opulence. I
gave this treat, however, to my Aleutians; and after distributing tobacco and
other trifles among the family, took my leave.
“The next morning, as soon as my arrival at the harbor
of Three Saints was known in the neighborhood, several of the toyons came
together to see me. After the usual compliments, and a treat of snuff on my
part, the conversation began on the common topic of poverty, when I endeavored,
with some earnestness, to persuade them to throw off the sloth and idleness so
visible amongst them, and exert themselves; and I stated, as I had done in a
previous instance, the many comforts they would derive from habits of industry,
of which they were at present perfectly destitute. The toyons listened
attentively to my advice, and assured me that they should be happy to follow
it, but that there were many circumstances to prevent them; and I must confess
I blushed when I heard that the principal of these was the high price fixed by
the Russian Company on every necessary article, and especially its iron
instruments, which rendered it impossible for the islanders to purchase them.
While this is the case, what improvement can be expected in these people?”
On the 6th Lisiansky and his party visited a
settlement on the adjacent island of Sitkhalidak,
with regard to which I give one more quotation. “Toward evening,” he continues,
“the weather becoming cold, we made a fire in the middle of our barabara, which was soon surrounded by the inhabitants,
young and old They were very much amused at seeing us drinking tea; but I have
no doubt were still more gratified when I ordered some dried fish to be
distributed amongst them, which was a rarity at this season of the year. The
master and mistress of the house were invited to partake of our beverage, and
they seemed to plume themselves upon the circumstance, as if distinguished by
it from the rest of the party. During our tea repast, the family were at their
supper, which was served up in the following manner: The cook having filled a
wooden bowl with dried fish, presented it to the master of the house, who,
after eating as much as he could, gave the rest to his wife. The other dishes
were served up in similar order, beginning with the oldest of the family, who,
when he had eaten his fill, gave the dish to the next in age, and he again to
the next; and thus it passed in rotation till it came to the youngest, whose
patience, as the family was numerous, must have been a little exhausted.
Perceiving, at length, that our companions were becoming drowsy, I advised them
to go to rest, which they did, wishing us several times a good night, and
expressing how satisfied they were with our kindness.
“The next morning when I arose at daylight, and was
proceeding to take a walk, I found all the men sitting on the roofs of their
houses. This is their favorite recreation after sleeping; though they are also
fond of sitting on the beach, and looking for hours together at the sea, when
they have nothing else to do. In this practice they resemble more a herd of
beasts than an association of reasonable beings endowed with the gift of speech
Indeed, these savages, when assembled together, appear to have no delight in
the oral intercourse that generally distinguishes the human race; for they
never converse; on the contrary, a stupid silence reigns amongst them. I had
many opportunities of noticing individuals of every age and degree; and I am
persuaded that the simplicity of their character exceeds that of any other
people, and that a long time must elapse before it will undergo any very
perceptible change. It is true, that on my entering their houses, some sort of
ceremony was always observed by them; but by degrees even this so completely
disappeared, that an Aleutian would undress himself to a state of nudity, without
at all regarding my presence; though at the same moment he considered me as the
greatest personage on the island.”
On the 14th of June the Neva sailed from St
Paul, and on the 22d of the same month entered the harbor of Novo Arkhangelsk.
During Lisiansky’s absence matters had prospered with
the new settlement. Eight substantial buildings had been completed; the fort
was also finished and mounted with cannon; a number of kitchen-gardens were under
cultivation, and the live-stock were thriving. All winter the Kolosh had
avoided the neighborhood, and only now And then a few small canoes appeared,
whose inmates carefully scanned the movements of the Russians and then vanished
quickly from sight.
On the 2d of July an interpreter was despatched by Baranof to inform them that the Neva had arrived with the hostages who had been delivered up on the cessation of
hostilities. The demoralized savages had scattered during the winter, but now
were assembling once more, and had built another fort on the western shore of
Chatham Strait, opposite the village of Houtshnoo.
The report was current that other tribes also were fortifying their villages,
and it was feared that in time the colony would again be surrounded with
dangerous neighbors. The messenger was sent back with the answer that the
toyons required some assurance of good faith before placing themselves in the
power of the Russians, and was again despatched on
the same errand, with presents and promises of kind treatment.
On the afternoon of the 16th five canoes were seen
approaching the fort, and as they drew near it became known that they contained
the messenger and an embassy from the Kolosh. The Chugatsches in Baranof’s camp
were ordered to conduct them to the fort, playing the part of gentlemen ushers,
as Lisiansky remarks, and donning their holiday apparel, set forth to meet
them. Some were attired only in a threadbare vest, some few in a pair of ragged
breeches, while by others an old hat, or a powdering of eagle down on the hair,
was considered a full-dress suit for a gentleman. When close to the beach the
embassy stopped, and the savages on shore and in boat executed a dance and
song, the toyon of the Kolosh being conspicuous for his nimble capering. The
canoes were then pulled on shore by the Chugatsches, their inmates remaining
seated, while the gentleman ushers entertained them with a second performance.
At length the ambassador and his suite were lifted
from their boats and carried to their apartments, where a feast had been
prepared for them. On the following day they paid a visit to the Neva, and were
regaled with tea and brandy. The envoy in chief was invited into the cabin,
where his son, who had been held as a hostage, was brought into his presence.
He was surprised at the cheerful and well-fed appearance of the lad, and
expressed his gratitude to the captain, but no sign of affection was shown by
child or parent. After more singing and dancing, the savages returned on shore,
and in the afternoon held an interview with Baranof, who presented to each a
cloak and a pewter medal, the latter in token of peace. Brandy was produced,
the terms of the treaty were arranged, and all were invited to a banquet at the
residence of the chief manager. The place of honor was of course given to the
envoy’s wife, whose evening costume was a piece of red cloth thrown over her
shoulders, and a thick coating of black paint on her face. Her coiffure was
composed entirely of soot, and for ornament she wore a round piece of wood in
the lower lip. It was observed that during her frequent sips of fire-water she
was extremely careful of this feature, which projected at right angles from the
chin, and was regarded as her greatest charm. Late at night the ambassador, his
spouse, and suite were again carried to their apartments, none of them being
sober enough to stand on their feet. The next day they took their leave, the
chief of the embassy being presented with a staff on which were the Russian
arms, wrought in copper, decorated with ribbons and eagle down. This he was
told to present to his countrymen as a token of friendship.
After the conclusion of the treaty with the Kolosh,
Lisiansky made ready for sea, and on the 1st of September, 1805, sailed for
Canton with a cargo valued at more than four hundred and fifty thousand roubles. Here he
arrived early in December of the same year,32 calling at Macao, where he met
with Captain Krusenstern, who had arrived in the Nadeshda on his homeward voyage, Rezanof meanwhile having sailed in another vessel for
Alaska. After much vexatious delay, caused by the Chinese officials, the furs
were landed and sold, a cargo of tea, nankeens, and other goods purchased with
the proceeds, and on the 4th of August, 1806, the Neva cast anchor at
Kronstadt.
As soon as the news of her return was known in St
Petersburg the vessel was thronged with persons of every rank, and for many
days her commander was so much occupied with answering their questions and
listening to their compliments that, as he says, he had barely time to eat or
sleep. Among those who visited the ship were the emperor and the empress’s
mother. The former complimented Lisiansky on the appearance of the Neva, and
observed that her crew looked better than when they had left the shores of
Russia, while the latter spoke a few kind words to all on board, and afterward
sent presents to each of the officers and sailors.
On the 19th of the same month the Nadeshda arrived, having accomplished her voyage round the world in three years and
twelve days, with the loss of only one man.
The two commanders received the order of St Vladimir
of the third class, and a pension of 3,000 roubles a
year for life. The other officers were promoted one step, with pensions of 500
to 1,000 roubles; and to the petty officers and
sailors were given pensions of 50 to 75 roubles, with
permission to retire from the service if they so desired. Lisiansky was raised
to the rank of commander in the imperial navy, but no further promotion appears
to have been conferred on Krusenstern. He had failed in his mission; but, as we
shall see later, through no fault of his own.
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