A. D. 1776. 597 



lifh the manners of her fubjeds, and to elevate her dominions to that 

 rank, among the commercial and maritime powers of Europe, which, 

 their vaft extent and refources feem to entitle them to. She projected 

 the union of the inland Cafpian fea, not only with the Baltic and the 

 Black fea, but alfo with the Northern ocean, by improving the naviga- 

 tion of the vaft rivers of her empire, and uniting them by canals, to be 

 executed upon a grand fcale ; and by the fame means fhe propofed to 

 extend her inland navigation from Peterfburg to the confines of China, 

 an extent of about 4,500 miles, with a portage of only 60 miles. Fully 

 fenfible that human induftry, and not merely a vaft extent of territory, 

 conftitutes the power and riches of a ftate, fhe ufed every means to in- 

 vite foreigners to fettle the bovmdlefs imcultivated, but fertile, tradts of 

 her empire, by religious toleration and other encouragements, in confe- 

 quence of which the banks ot the Wolga were now peopled by above 

 6,000 adventitious families. In order to render the communication 

 with China as convenient as pofliblc to the caravans, every encourage- 

 ment and alliftance were given to cultivate the defert lands, and ered 

 villages along the tradl of their long and tedious journey. The greateft 

 encouragement was alio given to fettle the ports of the new-acquired 

 territory on the coaft of the Black fea, and to profecute the navigation 

 of it and the Mediterranean, to which a free paflage through the Dar- 

 danelles was ftipulated in the treaty of peace with Turkey. And, after 

 the conclufion of a moft bloody and rancorous war with that empire, 

 a great RulTian mercantile houfe was ac'tually eftablifhed at Con- 

 ftantinople itfelf under the immediate patronage of the emprefs. By 

 thefe vigorous meafures has the commerce of Ruflia advanced to con- 

 fiderable magnitude ; and at this time the exports of that empire 

 were double the amount that they were twenty years before. Part 

 of the increafe however was owing to the revolution in America, 

 whereby Great Britain was obliged to return to the northern countries 

 of Europe for the fupply of naval ftores, which had for many years 

 been obtained from the American colonies : and part, alfo occafioned 

 by the fame event, was owing to the increafcd demand and greatly ad- 

 vanced price of tobacco in Europe, whereof great quantities grow in 

 Ruflia, which now began to export it to Lubeck and Holland, whence 

 a good deal of it was refliipped for France. 



But the unfavourable nature and fituation of the very fmall portions 

 of navigable fea alligncd to that vaft en^plre by the diftribuiion of na- 

 ture, and the enflaved condition of the people, feem to oppofe barriers, 

 perhaps infurmountable, (or at leaft requiring the Libour and prudent 

 attention of ages) againrt the progrcfs of Ruflia towards a ftate of ag- 

 grandizement, in any degree proportionable to its extent, or even to its 

 population. 



Mr. Spalding, a citizen of Edinburgh, received a handfome premium 

 from the iociety for the encouragement of arts, manufadures, and com- 



