Mr. Bell on the growing power of Russia: 335 
amount of value in roubles was more than 150,000. In the same 
year two caravans from Asia arrived at Petropaulovskei, one from 
the Kirguis themselves, consisting of 85 camels, and 31 carts with 
furs, lambskins, and woollen goods. Seven Kirguis escorted it. 
These goods were bartered on the spot, and the furs were after- 
wards sent to Nishn-Novogorod, the lamb-skins to Kasan, and 
the woollens remained for home consumption. This*caravan came 
from a place called Semiyark, 1500 versts distant. The second 
caravan came from Kokaund, with spun and raw cotton, destined 
for the fair of Nishn-Novogorod. These people belong to the 
town of Asret, and are T'ashkunts, live in houses, and occupy them- 
selves in agriculture and feeding cattle. T his latter caravan came 
1250 versts: Nay, what is more, and what is a strong proof how 
much Russian conquests have done in opening up a commercial in- 
tercourse between Europe and Asia, and a pathway to future civi- 
lization, Saratgoff, an Armenian merchant of Teilis, purchased in 
1623, at Odessa, HKuropean merchandize to the amount of 100,000 
femmes The adventure yielded a large profit. In 1624, six Are 
menian merchants appeared at the Leipsic fair, and purchased 
goods to the value of 600,000 francs. These goods were shipped 
ait Odessa for the Phasis, ‘whence they were eared up the river, 
and over the mountains to Georgia. Merchants from Teflis, Ar- 
menia, and Persia, have since appeared regularly at the Leipsic 
fair. In 1625, the amount of purchases made at that annual fair, 
by the merchants of Teflis, doubled that of 1624, and in 1626, it 
reached the amount of 2,800,000 francs. Thus, in the short space 
of three years, this newly-established commerce with the east, at 
Leipsic, by way of Odessa and the Phasis, has increased 2600 per 
eent., and most of the articles purchased, it may be presumed, were 
British manufacsures. All this has happened in consequence of 
Russian consequest, and, by means of it, a new opening into the 
Western and Middle Asia has been made, which could not have 
taken place in the previous state of political circumstances, and 
which will certainly prove an unexpected blessing to the inhabi- 
tants of both continents, and a godsend to our manufacturers. 
Nay, what is still more, two Bokharian traders, in 1828, visited for 
the first time the Leipsic fair with shawls, which are at Bokhara 
manufactured of the finest wool of the goats ef Thibet and Cash- 
mere, by the Jewish families, which make one-third of the popu- 
lation, and are as remarkable there for their industry and manufac- 
tures, as their brethren in Europe for their money transactions. 
All this has happened in consequence of Russian diplomatic and 
commercial intercourse with Bokhara, which they have found 
means to establish there in 1827. The two Bokharian merchants 
exchanged their shawls at Leipsic for coarse and fine woollen cloths, 
of such colours as are most esteemed in the east. It is quite a phe- 
nomenon in HKuropean history that Bokharian merchants should 
visit a German fair, 3000 miles distant at least from Bokhara. But 
Ahat a third part of the inhabitants should be Jews, as the German 
