A. D. 1703. ■ 727 



ticable * ; which will iM-obably ever be the cafe as to Scotland ; not- 

 withftanding the bounties allowed by that a61:, or any larger bounties to 

 be rcalbnably granted. 



The czar of RuIIia, Peter the Great, having conquered from Sweden 

 the fine provinces of Livonia, higria, and Carel'a, now formed a grand 

 projetlfor opening a free comnnmication between Ruflia and the Baltic 

 lea : his great genius had difcovered, that the iflands near the mouth of 

 the river Neva, at the head of the Fmdland gulf, might be fo fortified 

 as to prove to Ruflia of equal benefit for war or for commerce : hence 

 fprung up the fort of Cronfiadt, now a commodious haven for his fliips 

 of war ; by which all (hips muft pafs : he alfo viewed the adjacent country 

 with fatisfadion, and, in fhort, determined to ereft anew metropolis and 

 emporium at the mouth of the Neva, from whence he might awe his 

 enemies of the north, and open a naval communication with the reft of 

 Europe, by a much ihortcr and fafer courfe than from Archangel. He 

 confidered aUb, that by ereding a royal city and port there, though in 

 the 60th degree of latitude, he fhould acquire a greater influence, by 

 means of his navy, both in the Baltic, and even in the Northern and 

 German oceans. He therefor brought thither labourers and artificers 

 from all parts of his vaft empire ; many thoufands of whom are faid to 

 have periflied through cold, hunger, anddiflempers, in that damp place, 

 which gave him little concern. Yet, in the end, he furmounted all ob- 

 ftacles ; and having, by his defpotic fway, obhged his nobility, mer^ 

 chants, artizans, &c. to ered: and inhabit houfes in this new city; and, 

 encouraging many leafaring people and others from Livonia and other 

 parts, to fettle in it, he gave it the name of St. Peterihurgh ; and it 

 very foon became a large and populous city. It was objeded by the 

 people of Wologda, a city in 59 degrees of latitude, that, fl^ould their 

 handicrafts be removed from that city, where three German merchants 

 alone employed upwards of 25,000 perfons in dretfing hemp and flax 

 for the Archangel market, their provlfions at Peterflaurgh would come 

 much dearer, and fo they flaould lofe their trade ; yet the czar over- 

 ruled even this poiiit. 



Mr. De Dieu, the Dutch refident with the czar in the year 1720, ac- 

 quaints his principals, that Peterft)urgh might then contain about 

 300,00c fouls; a thing fearcely credible to be effedted in thefe modern 

 times, and much more refembling the power of the antient oriental 

 monarchs than any modern potentate. There he eflablilhed his admi- 

 ralty, his mathematical fchools, his royal academies, founderies, &c, ■ 

 His docks, powder-mills, paper-mills, &c. are at Cronfladt, where alfo 

 there is a good town built, and where he eftablilhed rope-walks, anchor- 

 fmiths, &c. At the faid new city of St. Peterihurgh he likewife efta- 



* Could they not faw it into boards? Surely board; can be carried wlierevtr a man can walk; to fay 

 nothing of the facility of floating them, even by the fniallell llrcums when fwellcd by floods. M 



