By Jeremy Dibbell
Exactly eighty days after departing Charlestown, MA (5 August 1809), John Quincy Adams and his party arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia on the afternoon of Monday, 23 October 1809 (see the track of their journey here). He wrote in his short diary (manuscript image, Twitter update) “St. Petersburg. Came in a Government Boat. Visit to Mr. Harris our consul. Lodge at the Hotel de Londres.”
Here’s how JQA recounted the day in his long diary (manuscript images, partial transcription)
“It blew a heavy gale of wind all the night, which continued this day so that it was equally impossible for the ship to warp into the mole* and for any boat to go off to the ship. But it was fair as possible for coming up to Petersburg. Admiral Kolokoltzoff, who, with the Governor of Cronstadt, this morning paid me a visit, offered me the use of a Government boat, with a deck and a cabin, but at the same time advised us to stay here, until the weather should be more moderate. The admiral the next in command under him, Lomenne, also paid us a visit, and recommended to us to wait for fine weather. But we could procure no lodgings at any public house. We had been already too burdensome to Mr. Sparrow, and could not think of continuing longer at his house. An American gentleman, Mr. Martin, was coming up to Petersburg, and offered to bear us company; and by delay we might have lost the finest opportunity for completing in three or four hours of time the remainder of our voyage. We therefore determined to proceed, and after writing a letter for Mr. Smith, which Mr. Sparrow engaged to deliver as soon as it should be possible to get on board the ship we embarked in the Government boat about elevent o’clock. It took us nearly two hours to warp out of the mole, and then three hours up to Petersburg, where we landed just below the bridge over the Neva, upon the quay, at four o’clock in the afternoon. It blew a strong gale all the way up. We passed rapidly the palaces of Oranienbaum and Peterhof, and the bar seven wersts** below the city, where there is only eight feet of water, and where the channel is winding and narrow, obliging our boat several times to change her tacks.
When we came to the land, Mr. Martin immediately went and procured a carriage, in which the ladies rode with the child, while we walked to his lodgings. A Mr. Richardson, whom we met upon the quay, and who undertook to look out lodgings for us, came in early in the evening, and with him I when to the Hôtel de Londres, in the street called the Newsky Perspective, and engaged an apartment of five indifferent chambers, but said to be the best in the city.”
Remember, however, that there were others accompanying Adams. Alexander Hill Everett, one of JQA’s young secretaries, left a diary of the voyage and his time in Russia: what does he have to say about the arrival in St. Petersburg? Writing retrospectively on 1 November, Everett recalls the trip into the city: “Preferring a voyage by water from Cronstadt to Petersburgh on account of the difficulty of procuring land-conveyances we came up in the packet on the morning of Monday the 24th [sic] and reached Petersburgh in three hours after leaving the Mole. The operation of warping out of the Mole employed as much as one hour. It is done by fastening ropes to piers erected at considerable distances from each other in the Mole and hauling up to them by windlass. The distance is 30 wersts. Captain Martin, an American of Portsmouth N.H. came up with us and invited us to his lodgings to dine and having obtained lodgings for us at the H tel de Londrs which though indifferent were the best that could be obtained we adjourned there at about 10 in the evening. The lodgings were rather indifferent, though extravagantly high in their price, and we are served with our meals from a traiteur*** which forms another enormous article of expence. In fact I soon found on arriving here that the expence would be extravagantly high.
On our arrival we were immediately introduced to Mr. Leavitt Harris of Philadelphia, a gentleman holding the station of Consul General of the United States here but who from a particular favour of the Emperor to the Americans is ranked with the corps diplomatique and received as a Minister Resident. He is a gentleman of very amiable manners and apparently of good talents. He assisted in procuring us lodgings at the Hotel and has since bestowed every attention that politeness could dictate. We found in the Hotel Mr. Richardson, of Norfolk, Virginia, who left Petersburgh the day but one after we arrived for England and from thence to the Mediterranean by whom I had an opportunity of writing to my dear friend Cogswell. I have not much satisfaction that the letter will reach him there for probably before the time it arrives he will be safe at home but I could not miss even the possibility. There were several vessels also about sailing for America by which I have had an opportunity of writing to several dear friends, to my brothers Oliver and Edward, to my sister Lucy, to my Uncle House, to Mr. William Gray on business, to my Lucretia and I hope to have an opportunity of sending some more letters in the course of the fall.”
John Quincy Adams’ wife Louisa also commented on the voyage into the city, writing in her 1840 sketch “Adventures of a Nobody”: “At Breakfast Mr. Sparrow informed us that a heavy had sprung up; the Vessel been blown many miles down (leagues) I mean and the she probably would not get back for ten days. Here was a position agreeably defined: Myself a white Cambric Wrapper; my Sister the same; A Child of little more than two years old with only the suit on his back, and the Minister with the Shirt he had on; solus!! We did appear quite in the Garb of the Aberiginals of our Land but as near as possible to do it honor.
We embarked again in the Admirals all the Females the Child Mr Adams Mr. Everett and Mr Gray en suite and Nelson–;at twelve at noon we started: and were two hours before to warp out of the Mole–;and we were four hours more before we arrived at the Wharf at Petersburgh and had to wait until a Carriage could be procured to take us to and the water had already affected the Child very much so that it required to be more than a philosophic Squaw to bear up against our varied trials Mr Martin an American Gentleman whom we met at Cronstadt accompanied us and kindly had a dinner served up and every as comfortable as possible in the horrid Hotel that could possibly be got.
Immediately after dinner Mr. Harris the Consul came and all the Shop keepers were set in motion to procure the requisites for ready use. And we had an outside garment and the Minister was dressed from top to toe much to his discomfiture in a superb style Wig and all to be presented to the Chancellor of the empire when he should be ready to receive him.”
So now our weary travelers are safe in St. Petersburg, and Mr. Adams’ ministerial duties await him. Stay tuned! We hope you’ll continue to follow along on Twitter and watch for additional updates here.
* More on the “Cronstadt mole” (harbor) here. For “warp out of the mole,” see Alexander Hill Everett’s entry for the procedure.
** A “werst” or “verst” is a Russian measure of linear distance equivalent to about two thirds of a mile.
*** More on traiteurs here.
On our arrival we were immediately introduced to Mr. Leavitt Harris of Philadelphia, a gentleman holding the station of Consul General of the United States here but who from a particular favour of the Emperor to the Americans is ranked with the corps diplomatique and received as a Minister Resident. He is a gentleman of very amiable manners and apparently of good talents. He assisted in procuring us lodgings at the Hotel and has since bestowed every attention that politeness could dictate. We found in the Hotel Mr. Richardson, of Norfolk, Virginia, who left Petersburgh the day but one after we arrived for England and from thence to the Mediterranean by whom I had an opportunity of writing to my dear friend Cogswell. I have not much satisfaction that the letter will reach him there for probably before the time it arrives he will be safe at home but I could not miss even the possibility. There were several vessels also about sailing for America by which I have had an opportunity of writing to several dear friends, to my brothers Oliver and Edward, to my sister Lucy, to my Uncle House, to Mr. William Gray on business, to my Lucretia and I hope to have an opportunity of sending some more letters in the course of the fall.”
John Quincy Adams’ wife Louisa also commented on the voyage into the city, writing in her 1840 sketch “Adventures of a Nobody”: “At Breakfast Mr. Sparrow informed us that a heavy had sprung up; the Vessel been blown many miles down (leagues) I mean and the she probably would not get back for ten days. Here was a position agreeably defined: Myself a white Cambric Wrapper; my Sister the same; A Child of little more than two years old with only the suit on his back, and the Minister with the Shirt he had on; solus!! We did appear quite in the Garb of the Aberiginals of our Land but as near as possible to do it honor.
We embarked again in the Admirals all the Females the Child Mr Adams Mr. Everett and Mr Gray en suite and Nelson—at twelve at noon we started: and were two hours before to warp out of the Mole—and we were four hours more before we arrived at the Wharf at Petersburgh and had to wait until a Carriage could be procured to take us to and the water had already affected the Child very much so that it required to be more than a philosophic Squaw to bear up against our varied trials Mr Martin an American Gentleman whom we met at Cronstadt accompanied us and kindly had a dinner served up and every as comfortable as possible in the horrid Hotel that could possibly be got.
Immediately after dinner Mr. Harris the Consul came and all the Shop keepers were set in motion to procure the requisites for ready use. And we had an outside garment and the Minister was dressed from top to toe much to his discomfiture in a superb style Wig and all to be presented to the Chancellor of the empire when he should be ready to receive him.”
So now our weary travelers are safe in St. Petersburg, and Mr. Adams’ ministerial duties await him. Stay tuned! We hope you’ll continue to follow along on Twitter and watch for additional updates here.
* More on the “Cronstadt mole” (harbor) here. For “warp out of the mole,” see Alexander Hill Everett’s entry for the procedure.
** A “werst” or “verst” is a Russian measure of linear distance equivalent to about two thirds of a mile.
*** More on traiteurs here.