The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-11-14
LA BEATA, THE PLUS ONE.

Sitka as imperial inspector of the i northwest establishments, and as plen- l ipotentiary of the Russian American company. He was instructed to inves- 1 tigate the condition of the colonies, to make what immediate improvement I was possible, and to suggest any re- ! forms to increase their prosperity. On the way to Sitka, Rezanof had 1 been ambassador extraordinary to Ja- pan, coming there with Krusenstern and Lisiansky, who were in charge of | the first Russian voyage around the world. In June, 1895, Rezanof and | Largsdorff, a surgeon and naturalist, sailed in the Neva to the Russian American settlements, while Krusen- stern in the Nadeshda continued his I voyage.
 When Rezanof reached sitL he found that the first essential was to secure a regular food supply. While this question was being pondered, Cap | tain Wolf arrived in the American ship Juno. He enthusiastically supported the floating stories of California's abun- Gance, while at the same time he ( = cIared it impossible to secure trade re- lations because of the Spanish restric- tive commercial laws Rezanof deter 1 mined to bluff the California officials. | He knew that the czar had secured from the king of Spain the assurance that in all his colonies supplies and as- sistance would be given to Krusen- stern on his scientific voyage. Rezanof calculated that Krusenstern could not yet have reached California, and that if he himself coasted down at once he might secure supply of food for needy Sltka.
 The Neva requiring repairs, he bar gained with Captain Wolf for the Juno, and purchased it and it's cargo | for $S,000. Then, after having secured Sitka for every article that might prove tempting to the Californians, he and Langsdorff sailed on March s, 1905. The crew was sick and scurvy, and they were delayed off the mouth of the Co., lunlbia, but finally, on April 5, they en- 1 tered San Francisco bay.
 l To the commandante of the presidio Rezanof explained that he was 8 part of the Krusenstern expedition, and wished to see the governor. With the greatest of courtesy Cornmandante Ar | guello bade him rest and refresh him. self at San Francisco, while a courier would speed to Monterey and summon his excellency to greet the distinguished visitor In vain did Rezanof invent reasons why he himself should journey I to the governor; the Spanish laws for bade exposing the interior of the coun- try to foreigner, and the command l In7ya1 nf3io q1Cr
 hospitable host, and never wearied ir entertaining the visitors.
 Among the members of his family the
 most interesting to the Russians was
 his daughter, Conception, then beau. tiful girl of 15. She was slender and
 graceful, with dusky eyes and heavy
 black braids that reached to her arche6
 insteps. Vivacious and gracious, hel
 repartee was fresh and sparkling. With
 manners that would grace any Euro
 pean court, she was known to be mol
 entirely satisfied with her country "California a paradisei" she Is report. ed to have exclaimed, "Oh, no. A good
 soil, warm climate, plenty of grain
 and cattle, but nothing else" Rezanoi
 although twice her age. widower. and ! q COu11tT NiO AAt SoSfShtl
 European capitals, soon found himself
 exerting all his ability to please this
 unschooled Californian. His tales of
 the outer world naturally charmed her
 and by the time Governor Arrillaga ar river at San Francisco, on April IS
 the Russians had at least one strong
 advocate among the Californians.
 The governor agreed that it would be an advantage to California to ship it's produce to Sitka, but the s; .nish laws prohibited trading with foreign vessels, and so he could not counten- ance 1t. Neither would he consent to the pades exchanging any of their sur plus for the cargo of the Juno. All of Rezanofs diplomacy was of no avail against the governors strict sense of his duty Conception tried by sundry suggestions to open a way for the trade, and her ready sympathy awak- ened 8 deeper feeling in Rezanof's heart.
 He could not overlook the political advantages there would be in a mar riage uniting Alaska and California, but there is no reason to doubt that his personal feelings were deeply ir- volved. At this time he wrote in his journal: Seeing that my situation was not improving, expecting every day that some misunderstanding would arise and having but little confidence in my own people, I resolved to change my politeness to a serious tone. Fin ally imDerceptibly created in her an impatience to hear something serious from me on the subject, which caused me to ask for her hand, to which she consented. My proposal created con- sternation in her parents, who had been raised in fanaticism; the differ ence in religion and the propective sep aration from their daughter made it terrible blow for them. They ran to the missionaries, who did not know what to do; they hustled poor Concep- cion to church, confessed her, and urged her to refuse me, but her reso- luteness finally overcame them all, The holy fathers appealed to the de- cision of the throne of Rome, and if I could not accomplish by nuptials I had at least the preliminary act per- formed, the marriage contract drawn up, and forced them to betroth us.''
 Rezanof' made every effort to have the marriage ceremony performed, that he might carry Conception with him, but the pades were firm in demanding a dispensation from the pope. So he planned to go home to St. Petersburg; there to get appointed envoy extraor-