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Perme Dec. 2d 1781.
The greatest part of this Government is the property of the
Stroganof family. The principal of this family is the
Count Stroganoff. He & the Baron were both here at the
opening of the new Government. The Count is the
greatest lover & encourager of Science particularly of
Natural history, of any of the Russian nobility of distinction.
He has resided many years in France
and made the tour of Europe, He has the greatest
extent of possessions, though not the richest, of any in
the Country. He was mightily pleased with my
amphibious Carriage. After he had seen it on the
water, I drove out in it one morning to call on him
at his quarters 9 versts out of Town. We were
both engaged to dine at the General Governor's
in Town, and therefore he must would needs return
with me in my carriage. From the vehicles
being so exceedingly easy-hung & commodious, but
more probably from the singularity of it, he was
highly delighted with his ride. He told me
that above of all the curiosities he should give
the Empress an account of his having seen during
his journey, my carriage would be the most
remarkable: and he would not for any thing
but have rid in it, that he might have to
tell her so. When we came to the Governor's
seeing my carriage from the window, he & all the
company came to the door, and were not a
little surprized to see a blue ribband
disembark. The Count ordered a French painter
he has with him to make a sketch of this
vehicle that he might the better be able to give
the Empress an idea of its construction and I have
got a drawing of it done here which I have
sent a copy to him at Petersbourg; another
I gave the Genl: Gowerme, that he may shew it
likewise to her Majesty; a 3d Copy I have sent
to Mr Davidoff; a 4th I send you either with
this letter or probably with a little box of small
specimens of minerals.
The Count was so
very desirous of my going to see the Salt works
belonging to him & the other branches of the family
that I could not but promise him to make
an excursion thither. They are situated in
the borders of the river Kama about 30 versts
below Salikainskaja. I had heard much
of a subterraneous Cavern situated about 100 versts
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farther from hence very curious stalactites and
calcaineous christals are obtained. The addings to
my collection of minerals and the exploring a
subterranean chasm which fear & impatience
of fatigue had prevented anybody's penetrating
to the end of, were motives sufficient to carry
me there. I set out upon this expedition
in my vehicle, mounting the Kama against
the current, but with a fair wind as far as
the Saltworks. I learnt in my way that
Baron Stroganoff who had left Perme about
a week was still at these Saltworks. I therefore
gave him a good salute with my Guns in
due form. The English colours flying, I may
safely say, for the first time in that part of the
world. As soon as they could collect their Guns
for the purpose my salute was returned doubly
& trebly. I went ashore straight to the Baron's;
and after the first compliments tea was presented
according to the custom of the country. In the same
time the He ordered quarters to be got ready for me
next to his, and supper to be prepared for me there
as the state of his health obliged him to observe
a regimen. It was already dark; so that after
sitting a couple of hours with him talking over
my journey passage from Perme by water, my desire
of insuring myself thoroughly of the whole of the salt
making process, and my intended expedition to the
Cavern, I took my leave for the night.
As the windings of the river had exposed us sometimes
to the opposite action of the wind as well as the
current, we were not a little tired; and as we had
pretty well consumed our provisions, the appearance
of preparations for supper was far from disagreeable.
My Interpreter and I were soon seated
to a succession of 20 dishes served in Silver
by 10 or a dozen servants a
with all that neatness as well as delicacies which
would scarcely have failed to have procured us an
artificial appetite, had our natural one not
been so keen. The next morning as I wished to
visit the Saltworks belonging to the Crown about 4
versts off on the other side of the water, and had paid
between 7 & 8 o'clock for setting out, came an officer
from the Baron about 1/2 past 7 with apologies
for his not accompanying me himself on account of the
quantity of ice existing in the sites & c early time of
my setting out, and that he had a carriage was prepared
for me on the other side of the water and the officer was to
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Identifier: | JB/539/268/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 539.
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1782-01-02 |
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539 |
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268 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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