WESTERN H I N D O O S T A N. 13 



Anthonie Jenkinfon (Purcbas, iii. 241.) gives a very curious 

 account of the ftate of Bocbara and its commerce, as it was in 

 the year 1558. This has been uninterruptedly continued from 

 the earliefl time to the prefent, for the northern parts of Afia 

 have their wants and kixiiries to fupply even from India and 

 China. The difcovery of the paffage by the Cape of Good Hope^ 

 gave a great check to this inland commerce. No more com- 

 modities were conveyed that way to the greateft part of Europe^ 

 yet ftill the trade is very confiderable to the places I mentioned, 

 and even to the RuJJian empire. Catberine has, as yet, no fliare 

 in Hindoojian, no Indian fleets; her fplendid courts, and all the 

 luxuries of her vaft cities are fupplied either from AJlra- 

 kan, or from the other Cafpian ports; Afirakan is the great 

 RuJJian flaple of the Indian commerce. Gurjef and Kijlar are the 

 fame. Perjia has its Derbcnd, Niezabad, Baku^ and others. The 

 Tartars have their bay of Ba/cban znd Mangujblak, through 

 which, Bccbara ftill pours its Indian articles of commerce. It 

 is foreign to the plan of out-line to enter into ininuticc. I 

 muft therefore refer to the fecond Volume of my friend the 

 Reverend Wm. Coxe's valuable Travels. The 4th Chapter will 

 fatisfy the moft ardent curiofity. 



In refpe6t to the antient Rujfian commerce with thefe diftant Russian Com- 

 parts, I iliall conclude the fubjedt with obferving, that after the 

 various commodities of India had arrived through the channel 

 of the Qxus into the Cafpian fea, they were fliipped for the 

 Volga, the Rha of the antients. That river was fo little known 

 to the antients, that they have not left us the name of a fingle 

 place in its w^hole courfe. The merchants afcended that great 

 river. After navigating it a very confiderable way they entered 



the 



MERCE. 



