1836 Sir John Franklin; Admiral Tchitchagof 319 



As in previous years the existence of the Easter holidays 

 was recognised in the register, but dinner was provided 

 for both weeks. The Treasurer came with a guest to the 

 first dinner, nobody attended the second. In the autumn 

 months the numbers were larger than usual. On July 

 7th the company numbered ten, in September four, in 

 October five, and in November two. The dinner in August, 

 however, was made a special banquet, which the Treasurer 

 has chronicled as follows : " Sir John Franklin having 

 been appointed Governor of Van Diemen's Land, and being 

 about to embark to proceed thither, I invited him to dine 

 with the Club on 4th August, which he accepted ; and 

 I communicated with such members as I believed to be 

 in London at this advanced period of the season, a party 

 of thirty- three sat down to dinner, being the greatest number 

 of persons ever collected together at one sitting of the 

 Club." Among the guests on this occasion were Mr. Steven- 

 son, the Envoy Extraordinary from the United States; 

 Mr. Duer, member of the American Legislature; Professor 

 Nielsen, from one of the Swedish Universities; Dr. Mohl, 

 Professor of Astronomy at Utrecht ; Professor von Raumer 

 of Berlin, Dr. Hare from Philadelphia, Professor Rigaux, 

 Baron Charles Dupin, and Sir William Burnett, Physician- 

 general of the Navy. 



A number of foreign visitors appear on the dinner lists 

 of this year. One of the most interesting was the Russian 

 Admiral Tchitchagof. Educated in England he preserved 

 through life an enthusiastic admiration for this country, 

 the public expression of which feeling led to his being 

 more than once put in prison by Emperor Paul I. He was 

 created Admiral and Minister of Marine by Alexander I., 

 and rendered important military services to Russia under 

 that monarch, who gave him unlimited leave to travel 

 abroad wherever and as long as he pleased. When sub- 

 sequently the Emperor Nicholas ordered all Russians to 

 return to their native country on pain of confiscation of 

 their goods, it never occurred to the admiral that his position 

 could be affected by this ukase, but he soon heard that 



