1824.] 
for the rest of which I refer to my or- 
ders to the war department. 
bth of November 9°" 80 
WSIS SUR tosraphe O's 
Cotint Peter |Alexandrowitch,~'T re- 
ply with this’ to'“your three letters ‘of 
the 3Pst (October, anid ‘V5th ‘and 27th 
November: To the'first, that although 
I am perfectly aware of all the difficul- 
ties’ which ‘you describe respecting the 
civeumstances ‘attending’ the part en- 
trusted'to you; Ido vot doubt but that 
your’ zeal ‘and: prudence’ will overcome 
them all,/about which J fully rely,on you. 
Respecting your coming here, to’ which 
you allide in’ your letter of the 15th 
November; I perceive now myself that, 
notwithstanding my ‘desire of having a 
personal’ interview with you, circum- 
stances’ will not admit your absenting 
yourself ‘at present from your post. I 
therefore delay the’ pleasure of seeing 
you to a more favourable opportunity. 
‘ I thank you for the handsome dagger 
you sent me. The spoils of two hos- 
podars is still better. I beg you to send 
me, if ‘you have ‘an opportunity, the 
vizier himself, and please God, even the 
sultan’s majesty. It is said that he 
meant to take the field himself, and is 
only stopped by a trifling circumstance : 
he ‘fears a rising. The certificate which 
you’ gave’ to’ the sub-lieutenant Chot- 
jainzow, Ihave ordered to be communi- 
cated ‘to the regiment; I am very glad 
that my good opinion of him has not 
been belied. For the rest, I remain as 
ever, well-affected for you. May God 
gratit success to all your undertakings, 
and enable us to hear much good news. 
10th December, 1769. ~CatuErine. 
SY: 33 . Autograph. 
‘Count’ Peter Alexandrowitch, — By 
your letter to Count Nikita Iwanowitch* 
of the 8th of April, I perceive that tra- 
vellérs have told you of my illness, and 
hive perhaps exaggerated it. I took a 
severe cold during the last days of car- 
nival, by which I got a rheumatism, with 
fever anda violent cough. The latter 
has teazed me for above a month, dur- 
ing which my bodily weakness was very 
great, but there was not an hour’s dan- 
ger in it; I am now recovered, and 
néxt week I shall go to Zarskoje Sselo. 
I congratulate youtor the holy days. I 
shall shortly write you a formal reply to 
your letter respecting the insults offered 
to the inhabitants of your government 
by’ viiious ‘detachments of soldiers; the 
tere era written only for the 
purpose” of ‘relieving you from any un- 
Stay cir tia i ngs eT 
* Panin, minister from 1762 till 1783. 
Unpublished Letters af Catherine II. 
- ultimately 
333 
easiness you may feel respecting the 
state of my health. For the, rest, may 
God grant! you happiness and health, 
but ‘I shall ever remain ‘your well-af- 
fected, *) [/..°'° CATHERINE. 
Fein Aor, 760. es ee 
{Ih the year, 1768 the Ottoman Porte 
declared war against Russia. , The Duke 
de Choiseul, desirous of weakening the 
Russian influence in the affairs’ of Po- 
land by occupying her forces élsewhere, 
instigated that power, at that period yet 
formidable, against the Emipress Cathe- 
rine. A cause for hostility, was soon 
found: a party of Russians, pursuing 
some of the Polish confederates, burnt 
the Turkish town of Balta, In vain did 
the Court of St. Petersburgh’ publicly 
disapprove of this proceeding; in vain 
did it offer to indemnify the Turks for 
the loss they had sustained ; the Sultan, 
Mustapha, proud of his power, and bent 
upon war, rejected every proposal. for 
accommodation. Obrjesskow, the Rus- 
sian Ambassador then at. Constan- 
tinople, was thrawn into. the castle, of 
the Seven Towers, and swarms of Mus- 
selmans, who had assembled in the plains 
of Rumelia, rushed to the banks of the 
Danube. The Russians, on their side, 
collected two armies. The principal 
one, under the command of General 
Prince Golizun, was assembled on the 
banks of the Dniester, partly to cover 
Poland, partly for the purpose of acting 
offensively.in case of a favourable op- 
portunity; the other army, under Count 
Rumjanzow, was to cover the borders 
of Russia, and only proceed on the de- , 
fensive. Golizun crossed the Dniester 
about the middle of April 1769, and 
after several battles succeeded in con- 
quering Chotin. But want of provi- 
sions .soon stopped his progress, and 
compelled him to recross 
that river. It was then that the com- 
mand of the first army was transferred 
to Count Rumjanzow; on which occa- 
sion the empress wrote to him. the fol- 
lowing letter with her own hand.) —. 
Count Peter Alexandrowitch,—The 
circumstances under which I intrust 
you with the command of the first 
army, require some explanations, from 
me. The army having been compelled, 
from want of provision, to recross the 
Dniester on the 2d of August, the arro- 
gance of the enemy will unquestion- 
ably have increased, although without a 
cause. But I hope, from your. ability 
and warlike skill, that you, will’ not 
allow the enemy to profit long by this 
empty vanity, especially since you have 
under 
