Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-06

awe in which they held their chief saluted
the Spaniards formally. then stood in an
attitude Of extreme respect; the Juno was
directly under the guns of the fort
One of the Spaniards raised a speaking
trumpet and shouted:
Who are your
No one on the Juno, save Rezanov, could
speak a word Of Spanish, but the tone of
the query was its own interpreter. The
oldest of the leutenants, through the ships
trumpet, shouted back:
The Juno-Sitka-Russian."
The Spanish officer made a peremptory
gesture that the ship come to anchor in the
shelter given by an immense angie of the
mainland, of which the forts point the
western extreme. The Russians, as befitted
the peaceful nature of their mission, obeyed
without delay. Before their resting place.
beach, was a quadrangle of buildings, some
200 feet square and surrounded by a wall
about fourteen feet high and seven feet
thick This they knew to be the Presidio
They saw the officers that had hailed them
gal!op over the hill behind the fort to the
more ambitious enclosure and, in the
square. confer with another group that
seemed to be in a corresponding state of
excitement. A few moments later a deputa-
ton of officers, accompanied by a priest in
the brown habit of the Franciscan order
started on horseback for the beach.
Rezanov ordered Lieut.. Davidov and Dr.
Langsdorff to the shore as his representa-
tives.
The Spaniards wore the undress uniform
OF black and scarlet in which they had been
surprised, but their peaked straw hats
were decorated with cords of gold or silver
the tassels hanging low on the broad brim
their high deerskfn boots We're gayly en-
broldered, and briStled with immense silver
spurs. The commanding officer alone had
invested himself with a gala serape a
square of red cloth with a bound and en-
bro:dered slit for the head Leading the
r n io 11T+ H..
nificantly on his sword he was a fine speci-
men of the young Californian grandee dark
and dashing and reckless, 1.-the of figure
thoroughbred, dissipated and ardent His
eyes We're sparkling a the prospect of ex-
element; not only had the Russians, by
their nefarlous appropriation Of the north
western corner of the continent and a re-
cent plratlcal excursion in pursuit Of otter,
profound disapproval and mistrust, but a
rumor had run up the coast that made
every sea gull look like the herald of a
hostile fleet. This was young Arguello's
first taste of command and life was dull
on the northern peninsula: he would have
welcomed declaration of war
Davidov and Langsdorff had come to
shore in one of the Juno's canoes The
conversation was held in Latin between
the two men of learning.
asked the priest
Langsdorff, who had been severely drilled
with a profound bow: I'VE are Russians
engaged in completing the crcumnayiea-
ton of the globe. 1t was our intention
to go directly to Monterey and present our
offlclal documents as well as cur respects
to your illustrious governor, but owing to
contrary winds and a resultant scarcity OF
provisions, We were under the necessity OF
putting into the nearest harbor. The Juno
Is navigated by Lieut.. Davidov and Lieut.
Khovstov Of the Imperial navy of Russia (:
by gracious permission associated with the
marine of the Russo-American Company"
He paused a moment and then swept out
his trump card with magnificent -four
ish: Our expedition is in command of
his eXcellency, Privy Counsellor and Grand
Chamberlain Baron ReZanov, late ambas-
sador to the court of Japan, plenipotentiary
| OF the Russo American Company, imperial
inspector of the extreme eastern and north
west American dominions of his imperial
| majesty, Alexander the First. Emperor of
| all the Russias, whose representative in
| these waters he Is.
The SpaniardS were properly impressed as
| the priest translated with the glfbneSs of
| the original but Arguello, who now an
| nounced himself as comandante ad interim
| of the Preside of San Francisco during the
| absence of his father at Monterey, nodded
| sagely several times and then held short
! conference in Spanish with the Interpreter.
| The priest turned to the Russians with a
simle as diplomatic as that which Rezanov
| had drilled upon the ugly ingenious coun-
| tenance of his medicine man.
Our iAustrous governor, Don Jose Arril-
| laga, received word from the court OF
| Spain, now quite two years ago, of the
| sailing in 1903 from Kronstadt of the ships
| Nadeshda and Neva, in command Of Capt.
! Krusenstern and Capt. Lisinsky, the former
\ having on board the illustrious ambassador
| to Japan the Privy Counsellor and Cham
| berlain de ReZanov. 1t was expected that
| these ships would touch at more than one
| Of his most holy Catholic majesty's vast
| dominons and all viceroys and gobernadoI
| propretarios were alike instructed to re.
| ceive the exalted representative Of the
| mighty emperor of Russia with hospitality
| and rspect. But we cannot understand why
| his excellency comes to us SO late and In
so small a ship, rather than in the state
| with which he sailed from Europe"
| THE explanation Is simple, my father
| The original ships. from a variety of cir
| cumstances. were. upon our arrival at KAN
| chatka, at the conclusion of the embassy to
| Japan, under the necessity of returning al
| once to Europe. His imperial majesty
| Alexander l. ordered the chamberlain and
plenipotentiary. the representative Of i'm
| perial power in the Russo-American pos.
| sessions, to remove to the Juno for the pur-
| pose Of visiting the Kurile and Aleutiar
| islands, Kadiak and the northwestern coast
| of America" The tsar had never heard O,
| the Juno, but as Rezanov was practically
| his august sem in these far away waters
there was enough of truth in this statement
to appease the conscience Of a subordinate
| The Spaniards were satisfied. Lieut.. Ar
/ guello begged that the emissaries would re-
turn to the ship and invite the chamberlain
| and his party to come at once to the Pre-
| sidio and do 1t the honor to partake of thu