272 
aded or -befieged, whether by fea 
or land; but at all other times, and 
with the exception of warlike am- 
munition, the fubjects aforefaid may 
tranfport into thofe places every 
other fort of merchandife, as well 
as paflengers, without the fmalleft 
hindrance. With refpe& to the 
fearching of merchant fhips, fhips 
of war and privateers fhall conduct 
themfelves as favourably as the 
courfe of the war then exifting 
may poffibly permit it towards the 
moft friendly powers which {hall 
remain neuter, obferving, as much 
as poflible, the acknowledged prin- 
ciples and rules of ‘the law of na- 
tions. 
XIE. All cannons, mortars, fire- 
arms, piftols, bombs, grenades, balls, 
bullets, mufkets, flints, matches, 
powder, faltpetre, fulphur, cutlaffes, 
pikes, fwords, belts, cartouch-boxes, 
faddles and» bridles, beyond the 
quantity which ‘may be neceffary 
for the ufe of the fhip, or beyond 
that which each rman ferving on 
board the veflel, or paffenger, fhall 
have, fhall be efteemed warlike 
provifions or ammunition ; and if 
any are found, they thall be confif- 
cated, according to the laws, as 
contraband or prohibited effects ; 
but neither the fhips, paflengers, 
nor the other merchandife’ found 
at the fame time, fhall be detained 
or prevented from continuing their 
voyage. 
XII. If(which God forbid) peace 
fhould be broken between the two 
high contraéting parties, . neiiher 
perfons, fhips, nor merchandife, 
fhall be detained or~confifcated ; 
but the term of a year at leaft thall 
be granted for the purpofe of fell- 
ing, difpofing of, or carrying away 
their effects, and withdrawing them- 
felves wherever they fhall pleafe, 
} 
ANNUAL’ REGISTER,’ 1797- 
which is to be underftood equally 
refpeéting all thofe who fhall be in 
the fea and land fervice ; and they 
fhall be permitted, previous to or 
at their departure, to confign the 
effects of which they fhall not have 
difpofed, as well as the debts to 
which they may have a claim, to 
fuch perfon as they fhall judge pro- 
per, to be difpofed of according to 
their will and profit; which debts 
the debtor fhall equally be obliged 
to pay as if the rupture had not 
taken place. 
XIII. In the event of a fhip- 
wreck happening in a place belong- 
ing to one or other of the high 
contracting parties, not only every 
affiftance fhall be given to the un- 
fortunate perfons, and no violence 
done to them, but alfo the effeéts 
which they fhall have thrown out 
of the fhip into the fea fhall not be 
concealed, detained, nor damaged, 
under any pretext whatever: on 
the contrary, the abovementioned 
effeéts and merchandife’ fhall be 
preferved and reftored’ to them, 
upon a fuitable recompenfe being 
given to thofe who fhall have af- 
fifted in faving their perfons, veffels, 
and effects. - 
XIV. It fhall be permitted to 
Britifh merchants to build, buy, 
fell, and hire houfes in all ftates 
and cities of Ruffia, excepting only 
the permiffion of building, buying, 
felling, and hiring houfes in thofe 
cities of the empire which have 
particular rights of citizenfhip, and: 
privileges contrary thereto: and it 
is expreffly ftipulated, that at St. 
Peterfburgh, Mofcow, Archangel, 
Riga, and Narva, as well as in all 
ports of the Black Sea, the houfes® 
which Britifh merchants fhall have 
purchafed or built, fhall, as long as 
they fhall continue to belong to 
them, 
