— —— 
1806.] 
of Taganrock, it would be neceffary to 
expedite them from the places of India to 
Atttrabad, a port of the Cafpian Sea, and 
thence to Aftgacan and Taganrock, from 
which town thky might be fent to Con-— 
fiantinople. This route was formerly 
employed, but ata time when the Cape 
of Good Hope was not difeevered, and 
when it was not poffible to fell the commo- 
dities of India twenty-five or thirty per 
cent. lower in the ports of the Ocean than 
in thofe of the Eaft, whither they were 
brought by way of the Red Sea, and by 
the caravans of Perfia and Arabia. 
Having arrived. at. Peterfburg, in the 
year 1781, the author was received 
with the d:finG&tion due to the recommen- 
dation of his Court, and to his own repu- 
tation, as one of the ablef merchants in 
France. He was furnifhed with all the 
communications capable of promoting his 
defigns ; and he pramifed to prefent a me- 
morial to the Minifters of the Emprefs, 
who approved his ideas. She even read 
his memorial, made remarks upon it with 
her own hand, and teftified great fatisfac- 
tion with it. : 
Among other demands made by. the au- 
thor, was permiffion for foreign merchanis 
fettled in the ports of the Black Sea to 
ioit the Ruffian flag, the only one re- 
fpected by the Turks, in confequence of 
the treaty cf 1774 3; but this he was un- 
able toobtain. Prince Potemkin confined 
himfelf to a few previfory conceffions, the 
Emprefs having faid to him on this occa-_ 
fion, that «¢ Every thing fhould be d_ne 
in time.” 
Thefe negociations were attended with 
delays.’ ‘¢ However, ({ays the author,) I 
became urgent to come to fome kind of 
conclufion ; and the Prince, who was dif- 
pofed to fayour me, at length refelved to 
grant to me alone, and ‘o the excluGion of 
other foreigners, the privileges which I fo- 
licited for the merchants in general who 
fhould fettle at Cherfun.”” 
Thefe ditferent arrangements were fuc- 
ceeded by the eftablifhment of a French 
houle at that place, and by a confiderable 
increafe in the trade carricd on there, 
which became more and more extenfive 
tii] the rupture between the two einpires. 
The author did not confine his exertions 
to the formation of conneétions with Ruf. 
fia. Poland, at that time an eleétive 
kingdom, was likewife the obje& ‘of his 
cares. He vifited its principal cities ; and 
found in M. Bonneau, afierwards conful- 
general in Poland, asd the Count Siack- 
elberg, the Ruffian ambafladcr, the fame 
MONTHLY Mac. No. 14m 
On the Commerce and Navigation of the Black Sea. 32) 
zeal to forward. his ufeful projects as he 
had met with at Peterfburg, 
Several memorials were tran{mitted fo 
the King of Poland, who, as well as his 
Minifter, highly approved the plans of 
the author. What proves how advanta- 
geous thefe plans were to the  Polith 
provinces is, that fince the Emprels- 
became their fovereign, fhe has applied 
them to the reciprocal commerce between 
her new dominions and the pert of Ch-r-’ 
fon. 
The author returned in 1732 to Ver- 
failles. Hedeivered a ftatement of his 
proceedings to the Minifter ; and Mefirs. 
“De Vergennes and De Caftries not only 
teftified the higheft fatisfa@tion, but grant- 
ed him varions encouragements to render 
them fill mere ufefal, 
Thefe encouragements confifed, +. In 
the {pecial proteétion granted by the King 
to the French heute eftablifhed at Cher- 
1 ‘ < ro 
fon; 2.:In the provifory fuppreffion of 
the duty of tonnage on Ruffian fhips, and 
of that of twenty per cent., amounting, 
together with the ten fous per livre, to 
tiiirty per cent. cn the valve of Ruffian 
commodities, an impofition equivalent to 
a prehibitory law, and laid on the com- 
merce of the Levant alone, with the inten- 
tion of referving the freight and profit ex- 
clufively to the merchants of Marfeilles ; 
3- Inthe provifory abolition of the duty 
of confulage in favour of the Ruffian ve 
fels arriving at Marfeilles; 4. In the re- 
duct on of quarantine for the fame fhips 
commg from the Biack Sea. This lat 
article was however recalled; or rather it 
was decided, and very juftly, to refer it to 
the prudence of the adminifrators of 
health at Marfcilles. Latly, various 
other encouragements were granted to the 
houfe at Cherfon ; fuch as a Ican of fifty 
thoufand francs ; the preference in fur- 
nifhing naval ftores ; and permiflion to 
take French feamen to navigate the vellels 
belonging to that houfe, though they fail- 
ed under the Ruffian flag. } 
The King himlelf made particular iz- 
quistes into the details of this undertaking, 
and the confequences which it might pro~ 
duce by the extenfion of the commerce of 
France in that quarter. He likewife ex- 
cinined with much attention the map 
which theauthor had prepared of the pro- 
vinces he had vifited, ard which is ann x- 
ed to the Hifiorical Effuy. 
he treaty of 1784 between the Porte 
and Ruffia was concluded during thete 
tranfactions ; and fo far from proving de- 
trimental to the projets of the commerce 
by 
