First Russian Embassy to Japan* 327 



fetmsigned to his lady an estate in Poland, worth 3000 

 rubles per annum. 



A letter received by the Academy of Sciences from cap- 

 tain Krusenstern, dated Santa Cruz, in the island of Tene- 

 riffe, October 25, 1 803, states that the vessels had arrived 

 there in safety altera short passage from Falmouth ; there 

 was not a single person sick on board, and the Russian 

 sailors were in high spirits, and performed their duty with 

 alacrity, though no Russian ship had ever proceeded so far 

 South. The Spanish governor received captain Krusen- 

 stern and his fellow-navigators in the most polite manner, 

 fitted up as an observatory for them the house where the 

 Inquisition holds its sittings, and transmitted their letters 

 to Europe by the speediest conveyance* 



On the 25th of October the vessels had taken on board 

 water, with a supply of wine, and were to set sail next day* 

 in order to proceed to Rio Janeiro in Brazil, where they in- 

 tended to remain a few weeks* In latitude 37° 40' north, 

 and longitude 3° 28' east, the Russian navigators had an 

 opportunity of observing a very, remarkable meteor. At 

 half past eight in the evening, October the 10th, they saw 

 in the sOuth-west a large fire-ball, which proceeded in a 

 horizontal direction, at the elevation of fifteen .degrees, to 

 the north-west^ where it disappeared i It had a very long 

 tail, which was so bright that the whole ship was illumi- 

 nated by it for a minute. What was most remarkable, 

 however, and perhaps unexampled, is the great strength of 

 the light; for after the meteor disappeared there remained a 

 bright line in the same direction, which was visible for an 

 hour. Mi Krusenstern communicated also to the Aca- 

 demy some important observations on currents, which 

 he had an opportunity of making in the course of his 

 voyage. 



The last letters received from the expedition are dated 

 from Brazil, January 22 : at that time M. Krusenstern had 

 sent the crews of the vessels on shore to procure refresh- 

 ments-. He purposed putting to sea in the beginning of 

 February, and expected to reach Japan by the middle of 

 June. 



LIV. Account of the first Russian Embassy to Japan in the 

 Years 1792 and 1793. 



X he Russians have been acquainted with Japan ever since 

 their second vovage of discovery in the eastern ocean, or 



Z 2 the 



