52 PACIFIC STATES FLORAL CONGRESS. 



Menzies, with Vancouver, visited this peninsula, San Jose, and Mon- 

 terey; and in the two succeeding years, stopped at Trinidad and other 

 points on this coast. Neither the Spanish botanists nor Menzies sent 

 specimens of eschscholtzia to Europe. In 1806 the Russian colonists 

 at Sitka were afflicted with scurvy. Rezenoff, who was in command 

 there, bought a brig of a Yankee trader, and came to the San Fran- 

 cisco mission for vegetable food. Owing to the necessity of a great 

 deal of diplomacy (the Spanish not feeling friendly toward the Rus- 

 sians), and possibly because of a love affair between the handsome 

 count and a beautiful senorita a romance familiar to those who have 

 read the history of San Francisco the brig Juno lay at anchor in 

 the Mission Bay for six weeks, in the months of April and May. 

 Meanwhile, Dr. Langsdorff, a German botanist who accompanied 

 Rezenoff, botanized when circumstances permitted, going once as far 

 as Mission San Jose. Having poor facilities for drying plants on 

 board the little vessel, many specimens mildewed. Doubtless the 

 eschscholtzias were thus spoiled and thrown overboard, for he sent none 1 

 to Europe. In 1815 Romanzoff, a Russian nobleman, fitted out the 

 ship Rurik, which he sent on an exploring expedition under the com- 

 mand of Captain Kotzebue, who was expected to find, if possible, a 

 passage north of America, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, 

 In the interest of science, Adelbert von Chamisso was made botanist of 

 the expedition; John Frederick Eschscholtz, surgeon and naturalist; 

 and Choris, artist. Chamisso, who was then thirty-four years old, had 

 just published a very original story (since translated into several lan- 

 guages), entitled "Peter Schlemihl." This amusing story of a man 

 who sold his shadow, gave him fame abroad, but he is better known 

 to Germans by his lyric poetry and ballads, as well as by his scientific 

 work. Eschscholtz, but twenty-two years old, had already acquired 

 some distinction as a naturalist; and Choris, two years younger, had 

 such ability as enabled him in the after years of his short life to become 

 one of the distinguished historical painters of Russia. Kotzebue, then 

 twenty-eight years of age, was a son of a great German dramatist, 

 whose plays were, in his time, the most popular in the world. 



After exploring the west and south coasts of Alaska, Kotzebue 

 came down the coast and entered San Francisco Bay, October 2, 1816. 

 Chamisso and Eschscholtz spent a month exploring "this peninsula and 

 in making expeditions to Monterey, Mission San Jose, and Bodega. 

 Meanwhile, Choris drew and painted the aborigines, and other objects 

 new to European eyes. With many other plants, they secured speci- 

 mens of eschscholtzia, which were the first to reach Europe. Upon their 

 return Chamisso and Eschscholtz began to study the botanical and 

 zoological specimens collected during their long voyage; and from 



