WORONETZ. 
269 
ruinous condition. We visited the little sandy 
island below the town whereon he built his first v, 
ship of war, when he projected the conquest of 
the Black Sea. It is now covered with store- 
houses, caldrons, and tubs, for the preparation 
of tallow : this is a great article of trade here : 
it is sent to England, and to America, in vast 
quantities. The principal merchant, happening 
to be upon the spot, asked us, to what use the 
English could possibly appropriate all the grease 
he sent to their country. The stench from the 
bones and horns of animals, slaughtered for the 
purpose of preparing the tallow, made this 
place exceedingly offensive. It formerly exhi- 
bited a more pleasing spectacle, when Peter, 
acting in the double capacity of a king and a 
carpenter, superintended his works upon this 
island. He built a small wooden hut, and a 
church, opposite to the arsenal, on the side of 
the river, immediately below the town ; and the 
greatest monarch in the world, surrounded by 
a few hovels, in a land of savage people ac*- 
customed only to their rafts and canoes, was 
daily seen in the midst of his workmen, upon 
a little mound of sand, building his first ship 
of war. 
CHAP. 
XI. 
Iron is one of the principal articles of trade Commerce 
. 1 1 , internal Sc 
m the town, and occupies the chief commerce external. 
