Britljb Trade with Turkey. 277 



prefent every one has liberty to trade ; and fince our fleet has 

 left the Mediterranean, their commerce i$ revived, and, ex- 

 cept the trade to Great Britain be equally free when a peace 

 takes place, we mail have little chance of being able to rival 

 them : but we mull not wait till that period arrives to lay 

 our trade open ; it muft be done immediately. * 



As all communication with the Levant by fea is cut off, 

 there remains no refource to our merchants, but to carry on 

 their trade through Ruffia ; and though this be a circuitous 

 way, it is not by far fo expenfive as might be imagined., 

 The freights to the Baltic are very low, as half the fhips go 

 out empty. The carriage from Riga to Cherfon, or Nic- 

 colai on the Bog, is moftly by water, and the land car- 

 riage in Ruffia is not one fourth of the price it is in Ger- 

 many. The expence on cloth would be trifling, and on 

 cheap and bulky goods even would not be equal to the enor- 

 mous price of infurance paid for armed fhips, which run the 

 voyage at prefent, and which is not equal to the rifk; it is 

 indeed fo great, that government fhould, perhaps, interfere. 

 At Cherfon there are good vefiels to be found, which in three 

 days may carry the goods to Conftantinople at a reafonable 

 freight. 



But in order to open fuch a communication, liberty muff 

 be obtained of the emperor of Ruffia to fend merchandize in 

 tranfito (without paying duty) aerofs Ruffia ; and there is ho 

 doubt but that fovereign, who has ftudied Adam Smith's 

 book on the Wealth of Nations, and who is perfectly ac- 

 quainted with the principles of commerce and navigation, 

 would fee the very great advantage which would accrue to 

 Ruffia by fuch a trade, both on account of the funis which 

 would remain in the country for expences of carriage, the 

 employment of a number of people, and alfo the encourage- 

 ment it would be to the Ruffian navigation in the Black 

 9ea ; but he never would grant fuch a privilege to a part of 

 the Britifh nation exclusively, and fhut out from it the Ruffia. 

 men hantr;, who carry on a branch of commerce fo advan- 



T 3 tageous 



