[ " ] 
To the immortal honour of Catha- 
rine II. the way to new difcoveries was 
now opened afrefh ; but it required both 
refolution and perfeverancc to purfue it, to 
the emolument and glory of RutTia ; and 
to extend her trade in thofe feas, which 
lay at fo great a difbnee, though conti- 
guous to the Rnflian dominions. This 
refolution and perfeverance, the Emprefs 
found means to excite and fupport, by 
erecting a commercial company (a), com- 
C 2 pofed 
(«) At firft it confiftcd of about twenty mer- 
chants, who, till then, had traded iingly with Si- 
beria and the frontiers of China, in Ruffian and 
other European commodities. The fund for this 
affociation confiftcd of ill arcs, of 500 rubles each; 
and two factories were erected, one at Ochoifkoi, 
the other in Ka?ntfcbatka. The former was under 
the inflection of Mr.W.vsiLEi Iwan'off Schi- 
loit, Merchant at Weilkhijllug; the latter, of 
Mr. Iwan Timofejeff Kr Asi LN'iKoF F, Mer- 
chant at A* l ',;<", who had attended the firft expe- 
dition 
