286 A. D. 1793. 



kirk by the Nantucket whalers, which was begun in the year 1786 with 

 only two (hips, was fo much increafed as to employ forty vefTels from 

 that port. The war ruined the fifliery ; and fome of the condudors of 

 it returned to America *. 



Almofl immediately after the renovation of the treaty with RufTia 

 the emprefs ilTued an edid (or ukafe, 8"' April) whereby flie prohibited 

 the importation of a great variety of goods, comprehending chiefly 

 thofe of Britifh manufacture, fuch as wrought iron of all forts, unlefs 

 for account of government ; wrought copper ; gilt and plated ware ; 

 watches, and every thing belonging to them ; coaches, chaifes, and 

 other carriages ; ftriped and flowered cafimirs, fpagnolettes (or half 

 cloths), and pluflies, the plain goods of thefe fpecies being admitted; 

 gauzes, and all ribands of more than one colour. Perfons having on 

 hand any of the prohibited goods were allowed till the i" of January 

 1794, by a iubfequent edid prolonged till the i" of July, to difpofe of 

 them, at the expiration of which time they were ordered to export them 

 within fix weeks, under the penalty of having them feized and burnt, 

 if they were found in the Ruffian dominions f. 



By another edi6l (December 1 3'") the prohibition of ftriped and 

 flowered goods, limited by the former one to cafimirs, fpagnolettes, and 

 pluflies, was extended to all other ftriped or flowered woolen goods, 

 whereby it was made to comprehend a great variety of articles of Brit- 

 ifli manufadure, which the merchants had already ordered on the faith 

 of the former edid. 



The confequence of thefe edids Vv^as, that many of the Ruffian merch- 

 ants were reduced to bankruptcy, or obliged to return the goods they 

 had purchafed, inftead of making the ftipulated payment, to the import- 

 ers, who in vain applied to the emprefs to reftore the duties they had 

 paid for the right of felling the goods in her dominions : fo that pro- 

 digioufly heavy lofles fell upon the Britifli merchants, the very beft 

 cuftomers of Ruffia, and upon the Britiffi manufadurers, who had put 

 goods fuitable for the Rufllan market in hand, in a dependence on re- 

 ceiving the cuftomary orders for them. It is difficult to account for 

 this condud of the wife and magnanimous Catharine. She could not 

 intend to deprefs the Britilh manufidures in favour of thofe of France, 

 for file had already cut off all communication with that country : and, 

 if fhe propofed by the prohibition of fuch goods to encourage, or puffi 

 forward, the manufadure of fimilar articles in her own dominions, the 

 meafure was at leaft premature. 



* This I have taken from The tra-uels of the to be fold at prices to be hmited by the magif- 



ihhe de Rochefoucault Liancourt, V. ii, p. 269, trates. The term for the fale of Brilifh wares of 



Engl'Jli traitjlation. fteel and iron was prolonged till the i»t of April 



f By an edift dated 14'" June 1794 all French 1795. and for llrlped filks, half filks, woolen, cot- 

 goods, and goods refembling French, were ordered ton, and other flight goods of Brjtifli manufacture, 

 to be exported in fix weeks from the i^t of July, till i^' April 1796. 

 with the exception of wines, which were permitted 4 



