491 



RUSSIA. 



Russia. The principal commerce of Russia by land is that 



^ ' with Prussia, Germany, and Austria, from Polangen 



to Radzivilof, and with China by Kiachta; the com- 

 merce of the second rank is with China and Bucharia, 

 Moldavia, Wallachia, and Bessarabia ; the most incon- 

 siderable commerce is that with Persia and Sweden. 



By these different channels of commerce Russia lost 

 enormously during this sad period, for the medium of 

 known importation amounted to 18,017,408 roubles, 

 while the medium of exportation was only 7,391,74-1 

 roubles. And as the frontiers by land are much more 

 difficult to guard against smuggling than the sea-ports, 

 especially of so enormous an extent as from Finland to 



China, it may be reckoned certain that the importation 

 surpassed the exportation at least by two-thirds. 



The greatest variations of commerce are found in 

 the importation in the commerce with Russia, Ger- 

 many, and Austria, for, from ten to eleven millions, it 

 suddenly fell to three millions. Political circumstances 

 were the cause of this. The commerce with China, 

 although always unfavourable, has been better sus- 

 tained. 



But we shall now take a glance at the second table, 

 so as to compare it with the first, to draw final con- 

 clusions. It is arranged in a different manner from 

 the first, and contains fewer details. 



Russia. 



The total of importation amounted to 71,997,580 

 roubles, the exportation to 141,108,577 roubles ; there- 

 fore there was a surplus of 69,110,997 roubles, a phe- 

 nomenon which had not been seen for a long time ; 

 but such, says Herrmann, are the happy effects of va- 

 lour and liberty. 



The importation then was, at a medium, 17,999,395 

 roubles per annum, the exportation at 35,252,244-, i* e. 

 double. The importation has remained almost the 

 same as in the first period, but it is the exportation 

 which has augmented in an astonishing manner. It 

 has not augmented by all the channels of commerce 

 by land, it is only by the channel of the frontiers of 

 Europe that this enormous surplus is found, every 

 where else the importation surpasses the exportation ; 

 however, the exportation by the Asiatic frontiers, and 

 by Kiachta has greatly gained ; whence it follows, that 

 in this respect, the two tables have the same charac- 

 ter, viz. Russia even at present loses by her commerce 

 by the Asiatic frontiers, and with Persia and China; 

 but she gains by that of the frontiers of Europe. 



In comparing the commerce of Russia by sea and 

 by land we find the following data. 



things in truth, every other commerce by land is in- 

 dispensable, but always more or less unfavourable. 



The principal articles of the commerce are about 

 twenty-four of exportation. Among these, lintandhemp, 

 with other seeds and oil, corn, hog's lard, and wood, 

 are the principal. Iron, linen, leather, potashes, tar, 

 wax, soap, cords and cables, and furs, are the most con- 

 siderable objects, as the produce of manufactures and 

 fabrics. 



There are above thirty-two articles of importation, 

 among which are les provisions de bouche, especially 

 sugar, coffee, and wine. Herrmann has given some 

 excellent tables respecting the kind of goods imported 

 and exported, which we cannot copy here, but which 

 are worthy of attention. He also gives a table of the 

 commerce by Transit, which is interesting. 



We shall conclude this part of our subject with a 

 valuable table of the commerce of St. Petersburgh, as 

 it is the chief entrepot of the foreign commerce of 

 Russia ; and, as upon an average, above one-third of 

 that commerce is carried on in it. 



Exportation has always been favourable to Russia 

 in her commerce by sea ; it was not so in the preceding 

 period for her commerce by land. In the first period, 

 the commerce by land was to that by sea as one to three 

 and about three- fourths, in the second period as one 

 to four and something more. 



The commerce by sea is not only the most consider- 

 able of Russia, but it is likewise the most lucrative ; 

 at all times it has gained more or less. The commerce 

 by land is only favourable to Russia by the channels 

 on the European frontiers ; but in the actual state of 



It results that the importation of St. Petersburgh has 

 almost tripled in the last period, and that the export- 

 ation has more than doubled, i. e. that it stands about 

 one to two two-thirds. For some years after 1815, 

 commerce between Russia and Great Britain was very 

 inactive, because the market had been previously over- 

 stocked by immense importations ; and of course as the 

 imported merchandise remained on hand, the means of 

 exchange were not possessed by the merchant. The 

 prices of British merchandise also sunk extremely low. 

 Within the two or three last years, however, trade has 



