452 A, D. r653. 



inent on the Cape of Good Hope in the year 1651, others relate, that 

 it was not till this year that the Dutch Eaft-India company, who had 

 before been more accuftomed than other European nations to flop at the 

 Cape of Good Hope in their India voyages for refrefhments, which they 

 purchafed of the Hottentots for mere trifles, determined to make a fet- 

 tlement there. Voltaire, in his General hiflory of Europe, will have 

 it, that they, in this year, feized on a Portuguefe fort there, although 

 it does not clearly appear from other accounts, that the Portuguefe ever 

 had any fort or fettlement on that cape. Yet, as it is frequently con- 

 venient, and not feldom abfolutely needful, to flop at that place, it was 

 a very wife meafure in the Dutch company to fecure a good refrefliing 

 flation there. Others make their firft fettlement here to be ftill five 

 years later, viz. 1-658. 



1654. — In the year 1654 a fleet of Englifli merchant fhips failed to 

 Archangel, and with them William Prideaux, who, in his letter to the 

 governor of Archangel, ftiled himfelf only mefl'enger of his highnefs 

 the lord protedor to his imperial majefly, the czar : wherein he wrote, 

 that whereas there hath been a diftance from commerce for fome 

 time by the Englifli merchants to the faid port of Archangel, they 

 are now come thither with their fliips laden with goods. So it is 

 required of the governor, in the name of the lord protedor of the 

 commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, to know if trade 

 fhall be permitted with freedom, and if granted, on what terms. To 

 which the governor anfwered, that the Englifli company is licenced, by 

 his imperial majefly of all Ruflia, to trade in Archangel in all unprohi- 

 bited goods, they paying the fame cuftom as other flrangers do. And 

 that as foon as the Englifli have done trading at that port, they muft go 

 beyond fea, i. e. home, and not be permitted, as antiently, to go up to 

 Mofcow, nor to any other part of Ruflia : but what goods fliall be left 

 unfold may either remain at Archangel, or be carried back to England. 

 Mr. Prideaux, however, is permitted to go to Mofcow to acquaint his 

 imperial majefly with his commiflion from the protedor. [Tljurloe, V. 

 ii, p. 558.] We need here only to remark, that the protedtor, doubt- 

 lefs, knew beforehand, on what terms his meflage and fliips would be 

 received ; and in order to foften the czar, he now gives him the title 

 of emperor, which title, however, has not been generally recognized 

 till our own times. 



A letter of intelligence in this fame year, from the Hague, relates., 

 that the czar had baniflied the Englifli from Archangel, at the requeft 

 of the Lord Culpepper, agent for King Charles : and that the king of 

 Poland, in this fame year, had fent a minifter to the protedor to infti- 

 gate him againft Mufcovy, infinuating that it would be no hard matter 

 for our fleet to take Archangel. [T'hurloe, V. iii, p. 50.] 



Mr. Prideaux, in his letter this year to the council, complains of the 



