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versts from Kremenchook, under the name of Ecatherinoslav (Catherine's glory, if I
do not mistake.) They went at the rate of 12 versts (8 miles) an hour. The vessels
that had been built by the Admiralty for the Empress's use during this progress
could go no further than half way on account as was said of their being so
much exposed to the wind, by reason of their heighth above the water. At Ecatherinoslav
they found the Emperor who came on board. One date more I
can give you: which is, that on the 9/20 of May the Empress set out, still by
land, for Cherson, and with her the Prince, and with him my Brother, and
with him his Adjutant, the rest of his Officers staying behind at Kremenchook
with the Grand Barge. The Tinder, destined for an experiment on the
Black Sea, was of course distanced by the Grand Barge, but arrived afterwards
at Kremenchook and is now gone on to Cherson. It does not appear
all this while that the Empress has ever been on board my Brother's Barge,
nor even her own; but it is not to be concluded that she will not, as her stay
at Cherson is to be but short, and she is to return to Kremenchook. The
men on board the Barge have had a rare time of it. The Prince soon
after he came on board order'd them 300 Roubles, and 50 more before he
disembarked: the Emperor also, and many other people made them presents.
As the hands that row'd the vessel were thus treated, it seems not an unnatural
conclusion that the head which planned it will, at the long run, not
go altogether unrewarded. The letter speaks much of the caresses bestowed on him
by all the great folks there. Amongst his visitors it mentions by name Field-Marshall
Romanoff (the conquerer of the Turks you know) and Count Chirnchiff
who you also know is at the head of the Admiralty. My Brother, I
am sorry to find has been labouring under a very indifferent state of health.
The Surgeon speaks of him as being on the mending order, but not yet
well. However that he can not be very ill appears by his exposing himself
to the fatigue of a land journey of some hundred versts in his attending a
the Empress to Cherson. That it should be his wish she should not see his
Barge till her return from thence I can easily conceive: it by what I saw
of it, it could not well have been finished in the inside at the time (May 9/20) She
left Kremenchook on her way to Cherson. But I can not so well account for her
not having been in all this time so much as on board of her own barges. The Prince
is
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