PREPARATIONS. 89 



building the Rurick with extraordinary care. I 

 consider it as my particular duty publicly to express 

 my thanks to Count Haiden, the chief commander 

 here, for the extraordinary interest which he took 

 in the expedition, and for the advice and assistance 

 with which he kindly favoured us. 



May 11. To our great joy the ship is ready, 

 and has been launched to-day. At four o'clock in 

 the afternoon we had divine service, and the 

 Rurick was consecrated by Russian clergy ; here- 

 upon the imperial flag was brought amidst a 

 flourish of drums and trumpets, and, with a thou- 

 sand huzzas, dipped in the river. I must observe 

 that the Emperor, at my request, had had the 

 goodness to allow me the imperial flag (that car- 

 ried by the ships of war), because it appeared to 

 me that a voyage of discovery, under the mercan- 

 tile flag, might be exposed to many inconveniences, 

 and even obstacles. I was on board the Rurick 

 when she was launched, delighted with the idea 

 that I might consider myself as the master of her. 

 During divine service we had had a warm rain, 

 which suddenly held up when the ship was being 

 launched, and the sun shone forth in all his 

 splendour ; a circumstance which was considered 

 by the spectators as a good omen for the whole 

 voyage. AVhile the ship was on the stocks we had 

 been employed in preparing sails, cordage, &c. : 

 all was now ready, and we exerted our utmost 

 diligence to put the Rurick in a condition to 



