192 THE POLAR WORLD. 



liead, and caused liim, as cliief of the Greek orthodox Church, to exchange his 

 old title of Grand Prince for the more significant and imposing one of Czar. 



His grandson, Ivan Wasiljewitsch II., a cruel but energetic monarch, con- 

 quered Kasan in 1552, and thus completely and permanently overthrew the do- 

 minion of the Tartars. Two years later he subdued Astrakhan, and planted the 

 GiLuk cross on the borders of the Caspian Sea, where until then only the Cres- 

 cent had been seen. 



In spite of the inhuman cruelty that disgraced his character, and earned for 

 him the name of 7 Vm We, Ivan sought, like his illustrious successor, Peter the 

 Great, to introduce the arts and sciences of Western Europe into his barbarous 

 realm, and to improve the Russian mamifactures by encouraging German ailists 

 and mechanics to settle iu the country. It was in his reign that Chancellor dis- 

 covered the passage from England to the White Sea, and Ivan gladly seized 

 the opportunity thus afforded. Soon after this the port of Archangel was built, 

 and thus a new seat was opened to civilization at the nortlieru extremity of 

 Europe. 



After the conquest of Kasan, several Russians settled in that province ; among 

 others, a merchant of the name of Strogonoff, wlio established some salt-works 

 on the banks of the Kama, and opened a trade with the natives. Among these 

 he noticed some strangers, and having heard that they came fi'om a country 

 ruled by a Tartar Khan, -who resided in a capital called Sibir, he sent some of 

 his jieople into tlieir land. These agents returned with the finest sable skins, 

 which they had purchased for a trifling sum ; and Strogonoff, not so covetous 

 as to wish to keep all the advantage of his discovery to himself, immediately in- 

 formed the Government of the new trade he had opened. He was rewnrded 

 witli the gift of considerable estates at the confluence of the Kama and Tschin- 

 sova, and his descendants, the Counts Strogonoff, are, as is well known, reckoned 

 among the richest of the Russian nobility. 



Soon after Ivan sent some troops to Siberia, whose prince, Jedigcr, acknowl- 

 edged his supremacy, and promised to pay him an .annual tribute of a thousand 

 sable skins. But this connection Avas not of long duration, for a few years after 

 Jcdic'cr was defeated by another Tartar prince, named Kutchum Khan ; and 

 thus, after Russian influence had taken the first step to establish itself beyond the 

 Ural, it once more became doubtful whether Northern Asia was to be Christian 

 or Mohammedan, The question Avas soon after decided by a fugitive I'obber. 



The conquests of Ivan on the Caspian Sea had called into life a considerable 

 trade Avith Bokhara and Persia, Avhich, hoAvever, Avas greatly disturbed by the 

 depredations of the Don Cossacks, Avho made it their practice to plunder the 

 caravans. But Ivan, not the man to be trifled Avith by a horde of freebooters, 

 immediately sent out a body of troops against the Don Cossacks, Avho, not ven- 

 turing to meet them, sought their safety in flight. At the head of the fugitives, 

 Avhose number amounted to no less than GOOO men, Avas Yermak Timodajeff, 

 a man Avho, like Cortez orPizarro, Avas destined to lay a ncAV empire at the feet 

 of his master. But Avhile the troops of the Czar were following his track, Yer- 

 mak Avas not yet dreaming of future conquests ; his only aim Avas to escape the 

 executioner ; and he considered himself extremely fortunate Avhen, leaving his 



