18i0.] 
the customs and duties of the Prussian 
government, began to be persuaded, 
that the way by the Black Sea would in 
évery respect be more to their inter- 
ests. The ancient govérnment of France, 
well acquainted with the fertility of the 
southern provinces of Poland, and the 
importance of their productions both for 
the navy and the trade of France, was 
prepared to encourage the Poles im this 
hew enterprize; but it was only just 
planned, and the cabinet of Versailles 
was then in its decline. 
‘“‘ These provinces form almost one-half 
of the extent of Poland. ‘Three great 
rivers water them: the Nieper or Borys- 
thenes, the Bog, and the Niester. These 
Tivers traverse a much greater extent of 
country than the Niemen and the Vis- 
tula, the only great roads (if they may be 
so called) of commerce’ ‘by the Baltic; 
and the countries which they flow 
through, in spite of the neglect of culti- 
vation, may with justice be called the 
Land of Promise for the first wants of 
man. 
“In order to prove how provisions 
abound in these countries, it is only 
necessary to mention that the Ukraine 
alone subsisted the Russian armies 
during all their late wars with the Turks, 
“Timber for building is found of very 
advanced growth, and in great abun- 
dance : of this it is easy to be convinced 
by the report of the master mast-maker 
of the dock-yard of Toulon, who was 
sent expressly to visit the forests of this 
country. The masts which arrive by 
the way of Riga, are eighteen or twenty 
months from the forests by the Baltic ; 
while those by the way of Cherson have 
arrived in three months at Toulon, accor- 
ding to the experiment made by the old 
French government: and e calculation 
of monsieur d’Antioine has proved 
arithmetically, that for the Polish masts 
and timber the way by Cherson is far 
preferable to that of Riga. 
“The salt provisions of the Ukraine 
are better than those of Ireland; and the 
low price of horned cattle, as well as of 
the salt of Moldavia and the Crimea, 
according to experiments made, allows 
them to be delivered at Akerman or 
Cherson, at one-half the price they could 
be got for in Ireland. 
“Hemp, hair, common wools, linens 
bleached and unbleached, sacking, raw 
and tanned hides, are in great abundance, 
*‘ Saltpetre, pitch, tar, tallow, rape 
and linseed oils, honey, butter, hog’s- 
Aclount of the Ukraine. 
$39 
lard, hops, and spirits distilled from. 
grain, are also very plentiful, 
¢¢ Wax and gums are at so low a 
price in the Ukraine, that the Austrian: 
merchants have them brought over-land 
from this province into Gallicia; from 
whence they transport them also by land 
across Moldavia and Austria, even to 
Trieste ; where they sell them, notwith- 
standing the length and expence of the 
carriage, for a very considerable profit. 
‘The tobacco of the Ukraine is 
excellent. A trial of it was made in 
France in 1757, and it was found almost 
equal to that of Virginia. 
_ “Pot and pearl ashes, which for a long 
time were exported from Poland only by 
the ports of Dantzic, Keenigsberg, and 
Elbing, are also among the productions 
of the Ukraine; and it is easy to observe, 
that the difference of the carriage by the 
Raltic or by the Black Sea, must make a 
difference in the price. ek 
‘¢ These countries, which present so 
great riches to us, in provisions and arti- 
cles of necessity, are almost entirely de- 
rived of manufactures; and the French 
trade would find by the Black Seaan opens. 
ing equally advantageous to both coun- 
tries, and a market for cloths, silks, jewel- 
dery, wines, fine oils, liquors, sugar, cof= 
fee, spices, drugs, colours, &c. The ate 
tempts made before the revolution, have 
clearly proved of what importance this 
trade wouid be to France, and more par= 
ticularly for those departments situated 
on the Mediterranean. bi Oeaes 
“* French vessels could even bring aff 
the merchandize of the Levant-into this 
country. ‘This branch of commerce is 
now solely in the-hands of the Jews and 
Armenians, and carried on across Mol- 
davia; a long, tedious,’ and expensive. 
way, and in which these poor men are 
subject to many insults and great extore 
tions. 
*‘The great mass of the exports of 
these countries by the Black Sea, would 
become more considerable for the 
French than those whieh the Envlish 
and Dutch obtain by the Baltic: and 
the imports on that side would far exceed 
those of Dantzic, Koenigsberg, or Riga ; 
because the three rivers, the Nieper, Bug, 
‘and Niester, when once rendered com- 
pletely navigable, would penetrate more 
into the interior of the country than the 
Niemen and the Vistula. The canal of 
Muchawa, which already connects the 
Vistula and the Pripetz, and that of 
Oginski, which when improved would 
unite 
ay 
