732 



EUSSIA. 



000, against 35,520,000 ; of machinery and other 

 metal manufactures 94,391,000, against 79,- 

 972,000 rubles ; the total imports of manufac- 

 tured objects, 177,536,000 rubles, total exports 

 4,833,000. The total imports of all other 

 classes were 107,953,000 rubles, total exports 

 15,659,000 rubles. The imports of precious 

 metals amounted to 12,390,000 rubles, against 

 13,874,000 in 1879; the exports to 28,778,000, 

 against 7,116,000 rubles. The above analysis 

 does not include the trade with Finland, or 

 that with Asiatic countries. The imports of 

 tea in 1880 were valued at 22,355,000 rubles, 

 against 18,648,000 in 1879. Textile materials 

 were imported from Asia of the value of 1,451,- 

 000 rubles, and exported to Asia in the amount 

 of 4,193,000. There was an export of 2,916,- 

 000 rubles of precious metals to Asia and no 

 imports thence in 1880, as compared with a 

 net export of 2,174,000 rubles in 1879. 



The number of ships entering Baltic ports in 

 1880 was 8,240, of which 5,696 were with car- 

 goes; the number entering the ports of the 

 Black Sea 5,265, with cargoes 2,493 ; the num- 

 ber entering the ports of the White Sea 882, 

 with cargoes 337; the number entering the 

 ports of the Caspian Sea 971, with cargoes 

 919; the total number entering Russian ports 

 15,358, of which 5,948 were steamers. Of the 

 total number, 2,746 sailed under Russian colors, 

 2,660 under English, 2,573 under German, 

 2,047 under Swedish, 1,380 under Turkish, 

 1,088 under Greek, 892 under Danish, 668 

 under Austrian, and 576 under Dutch. The mer- 

 chant marine in 1878 numbered 3,643 sailing- 

 vessels, of the aggregate tonnage of 308,230 

 tons, and 259 steamers, of about 74,324 tons. 



PETROLEUM REGION. The petroleum of the 

 Caucasus is expected to come into competition 

 with the American in Europe as soon as the 

 pipe-line from Baku to Batoum, on the Black 

 Sea, is completed. At Batoum the oil will be 

 pumped into tank-steamers. The total area of 

 the Baku petroleum region is about 1,200 square 

 miles, judging from the limits of surface oil 

 and gas wells. The region is almost without 

 water or vegetation. Scattered over the sur- 

 face of this desert are dried-up salt lakes and ex- 

 hausted mud-volcanoes, with numerous springs 

 and pools of oil and gas wells. The boring 

 has been principally confined to the peninsula 

 of Apsheron. Nearly every well that is sunk 

 strikes oil. Many have been abandoned, owing 

 to lack of means or the low price of petroleum. 

 Flowing wells yielding from 2,000 to 4,000 bar- 

 rels a day are common, and pumping wells 

 yielding from 300 to 600 barrels. The total 

 product rose from 500,000 barrels in 1873, to 

 between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 in 1881, be- 

 sides enormous quantities which were wasted 

 for lack of tanking and transportation facili- 

 ties. The export by sea amounted to 2,946,000 

 barrels in 1881, against 1,702,200 in 1879. 



RAILROADS. The extensive network of rail- 

 roads has aided greatly in developing the com- 

 merce of Russia, internal as well as foreign. 



From 1838 to 1865 the number of miles con- 

 structed was 2,385 ; in the five years, 1866-'70, 

 4,343 miles were built, in the next five years 

 5,071 miles, and in the last about 3,000 miles. 

 The total length in operation on the first of 

 January, 1882, was 14,076 miles, not including 

 nearly 600 miles in Finland. The Czar ap- 

 proved the plans of the Minister of Railroads 

 in 1875 and previously, for enlarging the exist- 

 ing system to the extent of 6,000 miles. The 

 projected lines include the proposed great Si- 

 berian railroad and seven railroads through the 

 coal-basin of the Don. Of the 45 railroad 

 companies in existence in 1879, 10 had con- 

 structed their lines without Government aid. 

 Of the 35 guaranteed companies, 15 were guar- 

 anteed to the full amount of their capital. 

 The charters of the companies are most of 

 them terminable after periods of from 75 to 

 85 years; but those of some of the smaller 

 railroads run for only 37 years. The gross re- 

 ceipts of the railroads in 1878, with a mileage 

 of 13,611 miles, were 211,905,758 rubles; the 

 working expenses, 133,120,261 rubles, their 

 aggregate capital was 1,450,288,196 rubles, 49 

 per cent of which was held by the Govern- 

 ment. 



TELEGRAPHS. The length of telegraph lines 

 in 1880 was about 59,140 miles; state lines, 

 54,080 miles ; the lines of the railroad com- 

 panies, 2,235 miles; Anglo-Indian line, 2,270 

 miles ; Aland Island cable, 60 miles ; private 

 lines, 250 miles ; military and police telegraphs, 

 240 miles. The aggregate length of wires was 

 about 134,600 miles. The number of dis- 

 patches sent was 7,298,429 ; private inland dis- 

 patches, 5,768,255 ; foreign dispatches received, 

 500,126; foreign dispatches sent, 496,955; in 

 transit, 77,223; official dispatches, 455,870. 

 The receipts amounted to about $6,133,000. 

 The expenditures were $2,828,000 for wages; 

 $1,682,000 for other working expenses and 

 maintenance; and $743,000 for the construc- 

 tion of new lines. 



POST-OFFICES. The number of post-offices 

 in 1 880 was 4,458 ; of employes, 15,235. The 

 number of letters and postal cards delivered 

 was 128,817,612; circulars, etc., 9,960,727; 

 newspapers, 88,168,700; total, 226,947,039, 

 against 206,502,269 in 1879. The receipts 

 were 14,132,929 rubles, the expenses 15,299,- 

 179 rubles. 



AGRICULTURE The number of serfs belong- 

 ing to nobles and other private persons, eman- 

 cipated in accordance with the ukase of March 

 3, 1861, was about 22,000,000, who were the 

 property of 109,340 owners. The number of 

 crown serfs emancipated was 22,225,075 of 

 both sexes. The owners transferred the lands 

 which the peasants cultivate to the village com- 

 munes, receiving in compensation a commuta- 

 tion of the value of the labor of the serfs at 

 6 per cent annual interest that is, a capital 

 sum of 100 rubles for every 6 rubles of an- 

 nual profit from the labor of the serfs. Of 

 this sum 20 per cent was paid at once by 



