455 
APPENDIX* N° II. 
perfectly finished. Its completion was to be in 
1802 . 
The Canals of Vyslmey Voloshoh (forming, as 
before mentioned, the chief point of separation, 
on which depends the whole communication) 
being the mere work of art, are liable to acci- 
dent, from many natural causes. The destruction 
of a dam, sluice, or other work of like conse- 
quence, notwithstanding all human foresight or 
precaution, may put an entire stop, at least for 
a time, both to the conveyance of the necessaries 
of life and articles of trade to the capital. Inde- 
pendent of this circumstance, this track of 
navigation requires annually an unmeasurable 
quantity of wood, for the construction of vessels, 
which can never return home for future use (the 
Borovitsky Cataracts rendering it an absolute 
impossibility); consequently the forests will be 
exhausted, and, in a certain space of time, this 
communication will decline of itself, and, finally, 
be totally abandoned, for want of building mate- 
rials. These inconveniences were observed by 
Peter the Great : at the very beginning, he took 
measures to find other means of communication ; 
and, after a survey, had resolved on the junction 
of the Rivers Kofgia and Fetegra. His demise 
put a stop to the execution of this project at 
that time: it was however resumed in 1785 , 
and, on a further survey, adopted on the same 
