The previous installment (with links to earlier ones):
This installment turns from the tragic romanticism of Vice-Admiral Shishkov’s narrative of Khvostov’s and Davydov’s lives to the main body of the publication, Davydov’s travel journal. The narrative voice in the journal is that of the younger officer. He was 18 when the journey began in 1802, and in his mid-20s when he wrote what follows. At times it will be tempting to compare our protagonists to their American contemporaries, Lewis and Clark, but while the Russian officers logged more miles (or versts), they were travelling a known – though at places still primitive – route.
The pair departed St. Petersburg 19 April 1802, arriving on 1 June at Tomsk, where they, and we, will rest. Along the way, Davydov describes the towns and countryside in western Siberia.
A note on measurements: Recall from a previous episode that a verst is a little more than a kilometer, so that 100 versts is around 60 miles. At Ekaterinburg we’ll also encounter a pood, which is 40 Russian funt or pounds – just over 36 pounds avoirdupois – and a zolotnik (“little goldie”), which is 1/96 of a funt, a little more than 4.25 grams and a little less than 1/6 of an ounce avoirdupois.
Notes on references to royalty and nobility: In Russian documents of the era, protocol required that references to the Tsar be in all capitals and, if possible, in a larger font than the surrounding text. The effect is particularly striking in hand-written documents. Davydov also makes reference to Rezanov, using not the ordinary, respectful Nikolai Petrovich, but rather a higher honorific, Gospodin. In the faux egalitarianism of post-Revolutionary Russia, the closest translation would be “Mr.,” but Russians seldom use it, preferring the given name and patronymic. In pre-Revolutionary times it was generally an honorific for nobility, so I have chosen to translate Gospodin Rezanov, if not perfectly accurately, as “Lord Rezanov.”
DAVYDOV’S NARRATIVE
TRAVEL DIARY
CHAPTER I.
My introduction to the Russian-American Company. Departure from St Petersburg. Arrival at Okhotsk.
Before describing my journey, I find it necessary to inform the reader both of my circumstances and the considerations prompting me to this undertaking. In 1795, I was assigned to the Naval Cadet Corps, in which I spent three years, during which I was sent to England and had the opportunity to see Denmark and Sweden. In 1798, I was promoted to Officer and remained in the same Corps. In 1799 I was sent to the fleet transporting troops to Holland, and wintered in Edinburgh. In 1801 I transferred from the Corps to the Navy and lived in St. Petersburg.
April 1802.
One day, after I had been ill for about a month, Lieutenant Khvostov came to me to say that he was going to America. When I asked him to explain, I learned from him that he had joined the Russian-American company, which had been awarded HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY’S patronage. He was to travel through all Siberia to Okhotsk, board a company ship there, and sail to its American establishments. He hinted that if there were another officer willing to undertake this journey, the company would gladly accept him. This suggestion renewed my everlasting passion for travel, so that at that moment I decided to go to America, and at that very hour I went to declare my wish to Lord Rezanov, who was the main shareholder of the company. This matter was not difficult to arrange. An ukase [a special Imperial proclamation] in the name of HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY allowed for naval officers on half-pay who so wish, to enter the Russian-American company without leaving the naval service. For their part, Lord Rezanov and the directors of the company found no difficulty in agreeing to our terms, for our main demand was to be dispatched as soon as possible. The desire to see such distant lands, to visit seas and countries little known and rarely visited, did not allow us to give much thought to our own emoluments.
19 April 1802.
Having prepared the most essential things for the journey, which would be quite long, at 11 o'clock in the morning we saw off all our friends and left St Petersburg. From behind the barrier, we said goodbye to them; sat down on a transfer cart, whipped the horses and galloped ... to America. I cannot accurately describe the disorder of my thoughts then. As long as the preparations for the journey occupied me, the trip seemed nothing but a pleasant thought, but then just we two remained in the wagon. The ensuing silence allowed us to indulge in various thoughts, and the rolling of the wheels reminded us that our path had already begun. Then my heart hesitated, my joys disappeared, and strong agitations troubled my soul. On the one hand, it upset me to say goodbye to my friends, to say goodbye for a very long time, to go where I will be deprived of all the pleasures and comforts of life, to go without telling my family, who of course will be upset by this enterprise - a thousand other similar thoughts disturbed my mind and weighed with sorrow on my heart. On the other hand, I imagined making this long journey, seeing many unusual things, visiting places in which rare things happen; acquiring new knowledge, and perhaps making a certain name for myself among seafarers. All this aroused my curiosity and flattered my ambition.
I had already imagined that extraordinary pleasure when, at the end of such a difficult journey, I would return back, see my relatives, my friends again, and regale them with the adventures that occurred to me, how I spent my time, and how I wandered through unknown seas and islands, living with wild people and beasts. We remember with pleasure tasks accomplished. I was sure that after all the sufferings, the pleasures would become more alive, that everything would dance in my eyes. In a word I said: I thought that after this journey the days of my golden age would flow for me, and sadness never darken my happiness. These dreams filled my head, so I sometimes laughed, sometimes cried. In this state of mind, I drove to Izhora.
The reader may find such an introduction to the journey strange, but I hope to earn an apology when I say that I was 18 years old, that I was just beginning to live in the world, and that my circle of acquaintance was very close. Love for my family and affection for my friends were the only bliss of my soul. And so apart from them it seemed to me that I was parting with the whole world, for what are millions of strangers to us? Strong mental agitation does not quickly abate. Time tames it only gradually.
I left Tosna in the same mood, that is, in deep silence, with wandering thoughts and secret sighs in my chest. My comrade was in the same state. His head was so filled with America that at one point he suddenly jumped up and asked me: what kind of wonderful bird is this? Wait, I said, we're not in America yet. The bird flying past us is nothing more than a simple Russian crow. We had reason to laugh for the first time, and we broke our silence for a while.
20 April.
In Tosna, a wagon with tools and various supplies broke down: while it was being repaired, I wanted to write something to my friends; but the previous day’s feelings returned, and I became sad again.
Since we had to travel to Moscow on transfer wagons full to the top, we slept very poorly for three days on the road to Tver, and we were forced to stop for several hours in that city.
On the evening of the 24th we arrived in Moscow, where we bought wagons and stayed for four days. Here I parted with my comrade, agreeing to rendezvous in Kazan. He went directly, and I went to my village to say goodbye to my relatives, for which I had to travel five hundred and fifty versts out of the way, compared to the direct road to Kazan.
My parents were extremely surprised at my unexpected arrival, and as you would judge, they were not delighted to hear about the long journey I was to undertake. However, there was nothing for them to do but bless me with tears.
From there I drove very quickly, not thinking about where to stop, and as if I had severed my last connection with this world.
12 May.
On May 12, I arrived in Kazan, where my friend was already waiting for me. Kazan and Perm provinces are heavily forested. In some places, many of these had burned out, and on my way through I saw in one place the whole forest completely engulfed and burning, while in others the fire had already gone out and the forest was only smoking. These fires are caused by the lighting of cooking fires by passers-by and by villagers, which should always be extinguished when leaving the place. But extinguishing these fires is difficult where there is no water nearby, and, moreover, the great number of forests always makes people neglect the need to preserve them. For this reason, in spite of the prohibition on the part of the authorities, such fires, left burning, often cause great destruction of the forests. It seems to me that the best way to avert such harmful negligence would be to teach reasonable priests, in the sermons they preach, to explain to their parishioners about this evil, which they only do because they otherwise cannot imagine its importance and harmful consequences, both for their own, and for the State’s, purposes.
The first city beyond Kazan is Okhansk [maybe 25 miles SW of Perm] on the river Kamye, which we crossed by ferry. The only stone structure is a small government building, but that is well built and noticeably cleaner than in many other county towns.
General Map of the Russian Empire, 1827. Library of Congress https://lccn.loc.gov/2018688695. Track from St. Petersburg (far NW) to Tomsk.
18 May.
On the morning of the 18th, we arrived in the city of Perm. It is built very soundly and well, and its cleanliness is apparent everywhere. There are as yet few stone structures in it, but some are now beginning to be built, including a courthouse. Many of the local nobles are very rich, for they have iron factories, for which reason we can hope that over time this city will become incomparably improved.
The first city beyond Perm, called Kungur, [30-35 mi SE of Perm] lies by two rather large rivers, Sylva and Iren. It has a few stone buildings and churches. The highest range of the Ural Mountains is between the Achit [another 40 or so mi SE] and Klenova stations, [SW of Perm] though they are not so high as the Stanovoi range [We will reach the Stanovoi range after our heroes leave Yakutsk –JT.].
21 May.
The evening of the 21st we passed Yekaterinburg, famous for its factories, the brittle marble in its vicinity, and an abundance of different kinds of precious stones. There are many stone buildings and three or four churches with beautiful architecture. The marble sent from Yekaterinburg is taken by horses to the pier on the Chusovaya River, from which it is sent by water.
As soon as you enter Yekaterinburg, many people hawking grooved polished stones, rings, and other trifles of local work will come to you. All of this is naturally sold very cheaply, but none of it is any good.
I heard here, that in the government refinery, from a hundred poods of gold ore, is produced from 4 to 6 zolotnik of pure gold.
On the 28th we left Yekaterinburg; the road to Irkutsk divides in two: one goes via Ishim and the other via Tobolsk; we took the first, because it is 250 versts shorter.
200 versts from Yekaterinburg lies the city of Shadrinsk, located near the river Isyet, which divides there into various small streams, creating many islands. [These braided rivers, characteristic of glacial runoff, will become an important feature of the journey farther east. –JT.]
The farther we traveled in Siberia, the more we noticed the decrease in population, although these places could support far more. The land is almost always beautiful and fruitful. Across the Ural Mountains the land is for the most part level, especially on the Barabinsk steppe, which, despite the name, is not a proper steppe; but presents pleasant variation to the eye because of the birch groves scattered throughout this vast plain. Before we passed the Barabinsk steppe, there were larch and pine forests everywhere, along with several other species of trees.
All Siberia, especially the Barabinsk steppe, has superbly abundant game, and many, many lakes and wetlands. We could shoot ducks without leaving the wagon. On top of these are found geese, cranes, swans, black grouses and other species of birds. Inhabitants of the Barabinsk Steppe sew large blankets from skins stripped from the heads of drakes, and sell them very cheaply.
The abundance and goodness of pasturage allows horses to multiply quickly, and they are sold cheaply. Lack of flowing water leads to frequent cattle deaths; if they could avert these, the inhabitants could become very rich. For the same reasons, I think, contagious diseases sometimes appear among people. In the whole extent of the Barabinsk steppe flows just one river, the Om, on which lies the city of Kainsk [now Kuybyshev], which is more like a village.
In summer on the steppes is such a multitude of botflies that they sometimes bite the horses to death; the number of midges is incredible, so that the peasants wear hair nets on their faces, only plow at night, and smoke constantly in their houses, trying to keep the midges away with the thick smoke.
In one village they told me about a recent sad adventure. A merchant and his attorney rode here on post horses. The latter usually drank enthusiastically with both the merchant and the coachman. One night he had got them extremely drunk, and decided to fulfill his villainous intention. He beat the merchant and coachman with a rifle butt, and believing them dead, went to the station where he said that robbers had attacked them and killed two of his comrades, and asked that they take him from this station either to St. Petersburg or Irkutsk. His words seemed suspicious, for which reason he was detained. Two days later the driver and the merchant came to their senses, but the first one died before reaching the station, and the second came and said that they were beaten by robbers; but he was very surprised to see his wagon and his comrade whom he thought already dead. Then the attorney confessed his crime, and the merchant died two days later.
1 June.
We arrived in the morning at Tomsk. It was a holiday, so nobody was available to repair the carts, and we were delighted to have to stay here an extra week.
In the next installment: After resting a few days in Tomsk, Davydov and Khvostov continue on to Irkutsk, where they would arrive on 17 June. Still having far to travel, and wanting to be sure to reach Okhotsk in time to sail before the season became too far advanced, they would not stay there long.