with Cliina. 



202 T R A N S A C T I O N S B E T W E E: N 



tranfport. by land to Kiachta : whereas the fame mer- 

 chandife, after being landed at Ochotik, is now carried 

 over a large tratft of country, partly upon rivers of difficult 

 navigation, and partly along rugged and ahnoll impalfa- 

 ble roads. 



In return, the Ruffians obtained what they long and 

 repeatedly aimed at, a regular and permanent trade with 



Rife of tlic 



comnKice the Chiuefe. The firft intercourfe between Paiffia and 

 China commenced in the beginning of the feventeenth 

 century *. At that period a fmall cjiian ity of Ghinefe 

 merchandife was procured, by the merchants of Tomfk 

 and other adjacent towns, from the Calmucs. The ra- 

 pid and profitable fale of thefe commodities encouraged 

 certain Wayvodes of Siberia to attempt a direct and open 

 communication with China. For this purpofe feveral 

 deputations were fent at different times to Pekin from 

 Tobolfk, Tomfk, and other RufTian fettlements : thefe 

 deputations, although they failed of obtaining the grant 

 of a regular commerce, were neverthelefs attended v.ith 

 fome important confequences. The general good re- 

 ception, which the agents met with, tempted the Ruf- 

 fian merchants to fend occafional traders to Pekin. By 

 thefe means a faint conne6lion with that metropolis was 

 kept alive : the Chinefe learned the advantages of the 



5 S. R. G. VIII. p. 504, & feq. 



Ruffian 



