he has also had his Share in the late Turkish War: In his Travels to Italy, he made a Campaign on the Galleys of Malta, and is honoured with a Crofs of that Order. He is the politeft Man in the Country, and most improved by his Travels, is magnificent in his Equipage and way of Life, extremely beloved by the Soldiers, and almoft adored by the People; he enjoys a vigorous Age at fixty and odd, has Goodnature, Honour, and as much personal Valour as any Man, but not Experience enough to act against an Army of regular Troops; he often fuffers under the Favorite's Perfecution, and has more than once defired Leave to lay down his Command, but has always been refused.

There are feveral other Minifters who come into the Privy Council, but as they confine themselves to the domeftick Affairs, and have no remarkable Degree of Favour, or Influence in Matters of State, I shall not trouble you with their Names or Employments, but proceed to fome fmall Account of the Czar's Riches.

Riches.

The Commerce Coin of Muscovy is a fmall Piece of Silver, about the Bignefs of an English

Penny, called a Copeek.

Silver Coin,

Formerly there was no Coin but Copeeks, and the other Names were only to fignify fuch a Num-ber, for the Easiness of the Tale; but in 1703, great Quantities of Specie, Rubles, half Rubles, &c. were made, though the Mass of Money is still in Copeeks,

All great Sums are generally reckoned by Rubles, or an hundred Copeeks, the intrinsic Value Value, whereof may be about 4 s. 4 d. English, but in the Course of Exchange, is generally reckoned at 6s. 8d. and fifteen Years ago was 10s.

An hundred Rubles weighed twelve Pounds in John Bafilowitz's Time, who reigned from Weight 1540 to 1584, and were kept up to eleven Pounds till the Reign of his prefent Majefty; but fince the War, and growing Neceffities of the Treafury, have been reduced by Degrees to fix Pounds twelve Ounces and three Quarters, English Weight. An hundred Rubles of old Copeeks weighing ten Pounds, are received in the Treafury, at an Allowance of fifteen per cent. and are there melted down into new Copeeks..

The Standard fhould be of the fame Goodness with Lyon Dollars, viz. twelve Ounces fine filver, Standard. and four Ounces Alloy to the Pound Weight, but most that is carried into the Mint is not above ten Ounces fine Silver, and being feldom tryed when melted, their Coins are of different Value, as the Run happens to be good or bad; Plate, Dollars,

and

and old Copeeks being all melted together, with an additional Alloy of Brass.

Imported.

The Silver is Cross Dollars, Lyon Dollars, and Albertus Dollars, with unwrought Plate, brought from Holland and Hamburgh, and Bremen. Of Dollars yearly from two or three Thoufand; Part to clear the Merchants Cuftoms; Part in return of Brass Money, which the Treasury often advances to Foreigners, to be repaid in Dollars at two Years end, and partly for the Advantage of the Exchange, in the Course whereof to Holland, a Dollar is only rated from fixty-two or seventy-three Copeeks; but can be fold in Archangel from eightyfive to ninety Copeeks.

Gold Coin

In 1702, the firft Ducats were coined with the Czar's Stamp, at twenty fix Carrats, being the Value of Holland's Ducats; but next Year the Direction of the Mint was taken from the Foreigners, and the Chinese Gold, being only at: twenty or twenty-one Carrats from one to three Grains, was left without refining, which utterly decried thofe Ducats, and very few have been coined fince 1706. The Gold is imported in Ingots from China, about three hundred and fixty Pound Weight English Yearly, befides fome thousand Ducats brought every Summer by the Fleet to Archangel.

In

1705, the Czar began to coin Brass Copeeks,

Halves and Quarters, thirty-fix Pound of Brass. Brafs, English Weight, which is bought in

04

Mofco,

Mofco for feven Rubles, produce twenty when coined; about ten Thousand of these Copeeks are given out Monthly, but no one is obliged to receive them in Payment, except fuch as are in the Czar's Service; they may be negociated against Silver at two per cent. Lofs. The Brass comes by the Fleets to Archangel.

Trade.

The Money of this Country, as to the Supplies of Silver and Value of the Coin, depends fo much on Trade, that it will be neceffary to make fome Mention of the chief Branches in this Place.

The Goods chiefly imported from England are all Sorts of Woolen Manufactures, Lead,

Importations.

Tin, Dying-Woods, Indigo, Pewter, Olibanum, Brimstone, Lignum-vitæ : The Hollanders and Hamburghers, befides thefe, bring Wines, Paper, Allum, Glafs-ware, Spices, Dollars, Plate, Gold and Silver Lace, Brocades, Silefia Cloth, and all Sorts of Gallanteries.

The English export chiefly, Hemp, Flax, TrainOil, Linen, Pot-Afh, Rhubarb, Ifin

Exportations. glafs, Wax, Tar, Red Hides and Caviar; the two laft to Leghorne. The Hollanders and Hamburghers carry out farther, Wood-Afh, Mafts, Hydes dried and falted, Tallow, Sables, HempSeed, Mats, and Hogs-Briftles.

Fishery.

Their Fishery of Seals, or Sea-Dogs, about ten Thousand a Year, yield five Thousand Measures of Oil; the Skins and Oil are sent to England. Morfes, or Sea-Horfes, from Nova-Zembla, used to load thirty Boats a Year with Blubber, the Teeth are esteemed next to Ivory, but the Trade being monopolized by a COMPANY decays daily. Cod and Stock-Fish, about three Ships lading Yearly to Denmark; Salmon falted and dried, a Ship's Loading to Bilboa; thefe with the Cod are taken in the North-Sea, about Kilduyn. and Cola; but the Ships bring Salt from St. Ubes.

The Foreign Merchants are obliged to pay their Customs in Dollars, Specie, at Archangel, Cuftams. which are only reckoned at the ancient Value of fifty Copeeks when received into the Treafury, and that too by Weight, fourteen to the Pound, which feldom holding, it comes from fourteen and a Quarter to three Quarters. Foreigners pay five per cent. for all Goods bought and fold by Weight, and four per cent. for thofe by Tale or Measure; they only pay fingle Duties either for their Exportations or Importations, whichfoever mount highest at the End of the Trade Time; Goods fent up by Foreigners to Mofco, or any inland Towns, pay ten per cent. in Dollars, and fix per cent. where they buy or fell in Rufs Money: The Ruffians pay five per cent. } where they fell or buy in the Country, and five per cent. at Archangel. Wine pays a particular Custom of five Dollars an Hogfhead.