RUSSIA. 



portion of all Ruffia's mineral wealth : the mod numerous 

 and rich of thefe are found in the Uralian mountains ; and 

 befides thefe there are two fmelting-houfes in the Altayan 

 and Sayane mountains, ar.d feveral in the governments of 

 Olonetz, Vologda, Nifhnei-Novgorod, Koltroma, Kurfk, 

 Tula, Tambof, &c. We may allow for the whole empire 

 about too forges, and 800 hammers. In the whole empire 

 about 5,000,000 pood of iron are annually produced, which 

 in fpecie amounts at kail to 4,500,000 of rubles. 



By the prefent conflitution, the mines belong either to 

 the crown, to public inftitutions, or to private indivi- 

 duals. The firft poffefles all the before-mentioned gold and 

 filver mines : the fharc it has in the copper and iron mines is 

 not accurately afcertaincd, but, according to authentic ftate- 

 ments, concluded to be about ;th of the former, and £th 

 part of the latter. The crown mines, which were formerly 

 under the fuperintendance of the mine college, have, fince 

 . the abolition of that college in 1784, belonged either to the 

 cabinet or to the fenate. The gold and filver mines of Ko- 

 lyvan and Nertfchinfk are under the direction of the former, 

 and the reil of the crown mines are dependant on the fenate. 

 The only public inftitution hitherto in polleffion of mines is 

 the " Imperial Affignation Bank," which purchafed the 

 copper and iron works in the government of Perm. The pri- 

 vate mines have received fo many grants by law, that it is not 

 eafy to affign to individuals their refpe&ive rights and immu- 

 nities. The private owners of mines are moftly nobles, but 

 fome are burghers and merchants. The works at the mines 

 of the crown, as well as thofe belonging to private perfons, 

 are partly carried on by matter-workmen, partly by inrolled 

 boors, partly by vaflals, and partly alfo by free workmen. 

 From thefe mines Ruffia obtains annually of gold about 

 40, and of fdver about 1300 pood, amounting, according 

 to the prices in 1789, to the value of 1,729,000 rubles. 

 Thefe metals are brought to St. Pcterfburg, and there moftly 

 coined, having been previoufly feparated at the imperial 

 office for that purpofe, and brought to the perfect ftandml. 

 Of copper are annually gained about 200,000 pood,eItimatcd 

 in value at about 2,000,000 of rubles. The copper which 

 the crown receives from its mines, as well as from the tites 

 of private proprietors, is wholly coined. The export of 

 this metal is inconfiderable ; as in 1793 it amounted, from 

 all the fea-ports of the empire, only to 187 pood, equal in 

 value to 2910 rubles. Of iron, about 5,000,000 of pood 

 are obtained, the value of which, on account of the fluc- 

 tuating price, cannot be accurately afcertained. Ruffia ex- 

 ports every year fo great a quantity of this metal, that, 

 next to hemp, it forms the moft important article of ex- 

 portation. In 1793 the export in bar and fort -iron, as well 

 36 in calt-iron goods, amounted to 3,033,249 pood, or in 

 value of money by the cuilom-houle books, to 5,204,125 

 rubles. Lead is found in all the mines, particularly in thofe 

 of the Nertfchinfk and the Altay ; but Ruflia deriving little 

 advantage from it, imported in 1793 at the port of St. Pc- 

 terfburg 36,000 pood, valued at 125,000 rubles. Tin has 

 not as yet been difcovered, nor have the lemi-metals in general 

 been produced. Ruflia has ample ilores of noble, precious, 

 and durable kinds of ftone, which we fhall not now record. 

 Turf and coals are found in fome parts, the argillaceous 

 earths in gnat quantities, fulphur fufficient to prevent the 

 neceflity of importation, of falts inellimable Ilores, and of 

 curious petrifactions and mineral waters, Ruflia has a fuffi- 

 cient quantity. 



The falt-works of Ruflia are numerous, rich, and produc- 

 tive. The fait is obtained partly from falt-mines, partly 

 from falt-lakcs, in which it cryllallizcs fponlaneoully, and 

 partly from falt-fprings, by boiling the brine, and evapora- 

 tion. But notwithflanding its incxhauftible fourccs of fait, 



Ruffia has not fufficient for the fupply of all the provinces 

 without importation. According to the facts above tran- 

 fiently Hated, it may be admitted that there is produced an- 

 nually in the Ruffian empire, of gold about 40 pood, of 

 filver 1300, of lead 30,000, of copper 200,000, of iron 

 5,000,000, and of fait !2,ooo,ooo ; the value of all which 

 in money may be eftimated, by the moft moderate computa- 

 tion, at 13,000,000 rubles ; ami if we allow for the advance 

 in the price of mineral products fince 1788, and coiilider 

 their prefent value, the faid fum may be fixed, without ex- 

 aggeration, at 15,000,000 rubles. According to the Efts 

 of exports in 1793, the total capital with which the pro- 

 ductive induflry of the Ruffian empire enriched it in that 

 year amounted to 30,823,000 rubles ; and this, it is faid, is 

 rated too low. 



Manufactures and Trade of the Ruffian Empire. — Manu- 

 factories of wool cotton, (ilk, flax, metals, &c. paper- 

 mills, vvax-bleacheries, falt-petre and glafs-houfes, tapeflry 

 and porcelain fabrics, with many limilar cltablifhments, 

 belonging partly to the crown and partly to individuals, 

 and efpecially the working of mines, employ an immenfe 

 number of people, as well artifts as tradefmen, both in 

 town and country. Oils of various kinds, ifinglaff, cavear, 

 foap, tallow-candles, beer and other liquors, brandy and 

 fpirits, vinegar, aqua-fortis and aqua-regia, potafli, falt-petre, 

 alum, vitriol, bitter fait, fugar, colours for dye-houfes, 

 dyeing, tobacco, paper, paper-hanging, play-cards, print- 

 ing, fail-cloth and cordage, linen, cotton, filk, gold and 

 filver lace, cloth and ftuff, carpet, hat, Ruffia leather, or 

 red and black yufts, which for colour, fmell, and foft- 

 nefs, cannot be equalled in any other part of the world, (fee 

 Yufts,) fhagreen, wax, cabinet and coach-making, glafs, 

 plate-glafs, ftone-cutting, earthenware and porcelain, fea- 

 thers, pitch-drawing, charcoal, fulphur, powder, iron in 

 various way?, and for various purpofes, copper and brafs, 

 cannon, gold and filver, clocks, mammots' bones, the, beft 

 of which are found about the rivers Katanga and Indighirka, 

 &c. &c. are the fubje&s of manufacture, and of the opera- 

 tion of artifls in theRufiian empire. Siberia produces alfo 

 a foffil which has the properties of afbeftus. It is foaked, 

 like hemp, in water, the threads are then drawn out, of 

 which a linen is made which refills the action of fire. 



The commerce of Ruflia is naturally divided into foreign 

 and domeftic : and thefe again into the maritime commerce 

 on the Baltic and the White fca, on the Euxine and the 

 Caipian ; and the commerce by land with Poland, &c. 

 with Perfia, with the Kirghifes, and with China. The inland 

 commerce is fmall, and is moflly conduced by fhop-keepers 

 and monopolizers ; and the chief tranfport of good., by land 

 is by caravans. The petty merchants carry on their trade by 

 travelling from place to place about the country, and this 

 kind of traffic fupports and even enriches many families. 

 Formerly all traffic was confined to the annual fairs ; but for 

 a long time every city and tewn, and many villages, have a 

 regular- market, befides the annual fairs. Until about 

 the clofe of the 15th century, the foreign commerce was 

 trifling, and almoft wholly confined to Novgorod. But 

 fince the time of Peter the Great, commerce has revived. 

 With the merchants of Ruflia it is a general practice to br 

 paid half the price before-hand of the inland commodities 

 which they buy up and deliver to foreigners, according to 

 contraft, for exportation ; hut to take foreign goods upon 

 a year's credit. The moil confiderable ipariume commerce 

 is at St. Pcterfburg and Riga, by way of the Baltic at 

 Archangel, on the Northern ocean. &C, at Taganrok on 

 the Euxine, :it Altrachan on the Cafpian, and at Kamtl- 

 cliatka on the Fallcrn ocean. The principal teats of the 

 foreign commerce by land are the Ukraine, whence the 



Ruffiax 



