Ig Introduction. 



size of this boat, which was provided with air-chests, 

 made me anxious of having such a one for Lieu- 

 tenant Kotzebue's expedition ; Mr. Fincham, how- 

 ever, being in the service of the Government, the 

 strictness of the EngUsh regulations did not allow 

 him to execute such a commission without the per- 

 mission of the Admiralty. On my return to Lon- 

 don, therefore, I made an application, in writing, to 

 the Admiralty, and received on the same day, an 

 answer from the secretary, Mr. Barrow, who enjoys 

 a most honorable reputation both as a traveller and 

 a writer, stating, that the Lords of the Admiralty 

 had immediately issued an order to build such a 

 boat for Count RomanzofF's expedition, according 

 to the dimensions given by me. This was done, 

 and when the Rurick put into Plymouth on her 

 voyage, the boat was delivered to Lieutenant Kot- 

 zebue, without any payment whatever being asked 

 for it : the expences of it amounted to 1000 

 roubles. 



A discovery lately made in England, seemed to 

 me too important not to be made use of for the ex- 

 pedition. This discovery, made by Mr. Donkin, 

 consists in preserving fresh meat, vegetables, soup, 

 milk, in short eatables of every kind, for years 

 together, in a perfectly fresh state j and, what may 

 be thought an exaggeration, but is not so, the 

 meat is better than when fresh, because the tin 

 boxes, in which it is preserved, are filled with 

 strong gravy, which penetrates the meat. I caused 



