The Dutch ship-of-the-line Zeeuw part of Russian fleet when she visited Kronstadt July 1834

In 1834 two Dutch warships visited the Baltic region including a visit to Russia.(1) The commanding officer of the ship-of-the-line Zeeuw wrote some letters dealing with this visit to the Secretary of Naval Affairs at The Hague. I was able to trace his letter dated 15 July 1834. Julius Constantijn Rijk was a successful naval officer and civil servant and after being governor of the Dutch West Indies, became he later Secretary of Naval Affairs. On board his ship was the Dutch prince Hendrik, whose mother was the Russian princess Anna Paulowna, a sister of the emperor.

Captain Rijk wrote that he intended to leave Cronstadt in the evening of the 16th or otherwise in the morning of the 17th to continue his voyage. At that moment the Russian fleet lying off Cronstadt consisted of 18 ships-of-the-line, 13 large frigates, 2 large corvettes, the instruction squadron of the cadets consisting of 9 vessels of different measurements and 7 advice vessels, totally 51 ships and vessels, including the Dutch Zeeuw and the Snelheid. The fleet was divided in 3 columns, the column in the middle consisting of the ships-of-the-line with Zeeuw in the centre conform the wish of the emperor! The column at star board consisted the frigates and corvettes, the column at port the other vessels including the Snelheid, lying transverse of the Zeeuw. The emperor Nicolaas I watched that day with his steam yacht the fleet and unexpectedly visited some of the ships including the Zeeuw. On board of the Zeeuw the emperor could see several drills. The revue was planned for the next morning, while the same day or otherwise the day afterwards the Russian fleet intended to leave Cronstadt for manoeuvres in the Finnish Gulf. The Zeeuw took part in all ceremonies and her officers and those of the Snelheid were invited Sunday 13th for the celebration of the birthday of the empress at Peterhoff. Due to the small draught of the Snelheid she was able to anchor off Peterhoff, something especially allowed by the emperor. Here she was part of the squadron of the cadets and was illuminated. The Dutch officers, transported with a imperial steam boat, were invited to the table of the corps diplomatique and all foreigners of importance. Rijk noticed that the music played during the meal, was of Russian national nature and of Dutch!

In his journal Rijk wrote 19th that all Russians ships looked brilliant, well rigged, beautiful sails, just painted, with neatly bulwarks with snow-white bunks, the crew equal clothed, in one word everything was well. He decided to do his upper best toe prevent making himself and ships shameful. The vice admiral ship was the 3-decker Imperator Alexander as could be read on the stern. All ships were fitted out with a large eagle at the galleon, what gave a nice view. The bunks were in a straight line backwards entrenched. Her admiral was count Von Bellinghausen, who couldn’t speak neither French nor English just German.

Sources
Archive Ministerie van Marine no. 1126 (Nationaal Archive at The Hague)
Archive Ministerie van marine scheepsjournalen no. 5210 (Nationaal Archive at The Hague).
Ph,M. Bosscher and others. Prins Hendrik de Zeevaarder 1820-1979. Naarden, 1975.
J.R. Bruijn and others. Julius Constantijn Rijk. Zeeman en minister 1787-1854. Amsterdam, 1991.
A.J. Vermeulen. De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine en die der gouvernementsmarine 1813-1964. 

Note
1. The Zeeuw, on stocks by C. Soetermeer, at Flushing, Netherlands 24 August 1819, launched 16 August 1825, dimensions 57,7 (between perpendiculars) x 14,9 x 6,93m, draught fore 6,46 and aft 7,12m, sail area 2327m2, displacement 3245 tons, 650-700 men, armed with 84 guns. Rebuilt as floating battery Jupiter. During her visit armed with 32-36pdrs, 32-30pdrs, 2-12pdrs, 2-60pdr carronades, 20-30pdr carronades, 6-12pdr carronades, 650 men. The brig Snelheid, on stocks at Flushing, Netherlands 1830, launched 1833, scrapped 1849, sold 1850, dimensions 28,00m x 7,70m x 3,70m, 14 guns.