The first Ship was built for the Czar's Pleasure when very young, on the Bielo Ozero, or Shipping White-Sea, a large Lake about three hundred Miles from Mofc.

In the Winter of 1695, feveral half Gallies and Brigantines were prepared at Mofco, and carried by Sled-way to Veronitz where they were put together, and fent down the Don to be used at the Siege of Afoph.

In 1696, a confiderable Number of Ship-Carpenters coming from Holland, with two Italians' and a Greek Mafter from Venice, a Fleet was raised at Stupena and Veronitz, for which End the whole Empire was divided into eighty-four Parts, and each Divifion to furnish a Ship, or an equivalent Number of Gallies, Brigantines, and small Craft. The chief Nobility, appointed to oversee this Work in the Czar's Abfence, contracted for the Ships with Foreigners, who, for want of Experience, dry Timber, and fufficient Time, as well as for their private Gains, run up the Veffels very flightly with green and bad Stuff, so that they decayed before they were finished; which the Czar perceiving at his Return from Great Britain, he came by Degrees entirely to dislike the Dutch Building and Masters, and discharged them as he could procure English. The laft Ships built by the Dutch, were eleven Frigates at Stupena in 1703.

The

Places where the Ships are

The Fleet being built on large Rivers far up in the Land, it may be of Use to give fome fhor: Defcription of the Places where the Yards either are, or have been fettled.

built.

Stupena is a fmall Town on the River Veronne, about twenty English Miles above Vero

nitz.

Stupena.

Veronitz.

Veronitz is another fmall Town, lying in 50 Degrees 20 Minutes of Northern Latitude, and in 63 Degrees Longitude, on the Veronne, eight English Miles above the Mouth of that River, where it falls into the Don. In 1696, the Czar began a Stone Arfenal there, to preferve all Manner of Stores. The Ships here, and ạt Stupena, were built on the Land on Launches, but could not be got a-float without great Difficulty, nor otherwise than in the Spring; to remove which Inconvenience a Sluice and Work was made at the Mouth of the River in 1702, for raifing and letting off the Water at any Time required; and by this Means fifteen Ships were laid dry on the Land to be refitted in 1703: But proper Care not being taken to keep the Sluices open in the Spring, when the Floods came down, and brought vast Quantities of Sand washed off the neigbouring Mountains, the Channel began to choak up, scarce fix Feet of Water remaining were feventeen were formerly.

This Disappointment, with the bad Air, the Ground being Marshy, and the People fubject to Agues in the Spring, which has carried feveral of them off, obliged the Czar to think of removing his Yards; and the River being vifited in 1705, for a proper Place to make fome Docks, Taveroff a little Village fix Miles lower was pitched on by the High-Admiral Apraxin, contrary to the Opinion of all the Ship-Carpenters and Sluice-makers, who reprefented that is was impoffible to lay any Foundation there, which could fecure them against the Force of the Floods, the Banks being a loose Sand; but the Admiral continuing obftinate, for fome private Interest, eight Docks were begun under the Direction of a Polander, Annifeé Miekowick, in 1706. The Gates and Foundations were accordingly blown up in 1707, and notwithstanding all poffible Care and Reparations, met the same Fate in 1708: In the fame Year, however, pofitive Orders being given to set up four eighty Gun Ships, three of forty-eight, and one of twenty-four in that Place, the Carpenters refolved to open the Gates in the Floods and let in the Water, rather than have the Foundation of the Dock tore up, and the Carcaffes of the Ships fpoiled at the fame Time, as happened to one the Year before: This occafions a great Delay of near fix Weeks in the Spring, during which all the Men lie idle.

The Czar, being convinced of these Inconveniencies in 1709, when he was there in the Spring, ordered the Ships to be run up with Plank, until they

could

ould hold Water, and then to abandon the Work, which had coft above one hundred and fixty thousand Dollars, and the Lives of three or four thousand Men; and a new Work is begun at the Mouth of the River Seriot, which forms a fmall Lake a little before it falls into the Don, about one hundred English Miles below Veronitz; and an Engineer is already ordered thither, to lay out the Plan of a Fortification, the Place being on the Step, or Defert, exposed to the Rebellions of the Coffacks, and fudden Incurfions of the Tartars.

River Don the

ancient Tanais.

The River Don springs from the Ivan Ozero, or St. John's-Sea, in the 54th Degree 15 Minutes, and from thence runs a Courfe of about five hundred English Miles to Afoph, a little below which Place it falls into the Palus Maotis, in the 47th Degree 20 Minutes. The Don is below Veronitz, from three hundred to fix hundred Fathom broad, and deep enough from the Middle of April to the End of June for Ships of Burthen, but in the other Months the Water is fo low, that in feveral Shallows there is not above a Foot and a Half. In the Spring Floods this River rifes from fixteen to eighteen Feet perpendicular, and the Current is very rapid. In 1709, the Czar fet out from Veronitz with fix Brigantines on the tenth of April, and arrived at Asoph on the 20th of the fame Month; two Men of War, which were carried down at the fame Time, got thither about a Fortnight afterwards.

Afoph lies at the Mouth of the River Don, in 17 Degrees 27 Minutes Latitude, and 64 DeAfoph. grees 32 Minutes Longitude; it was taken by the Coffacks in 1637, who continued Masters of the Place till 1642, when it fell to the Turks, and remained in their Hands till 1696, but was then taken by the Czar; the Fortifications were new modelled, and two little Fortreffes built at the Mouth of the Don. This Haven is very inconvenient, and almoft impracticable for Ships of Burthen; for the Don dividing into several Branches, the Currents are not ftrong enough to clear the Mouths of the River from the Sands which choak them up, and leave not above fix or feven Feet of Water in moft Places, fo that the Men of War can only go out in the Spring Floods, and then must be lightened from their Artillery, &c. or when violent Winds have fet in from the Sea for several Days together, which raise the Water to a very great Height, as generally happen in Autumn in the Finnish Gulph.

By Reason of this Difficulty, the Czar was obliged to look out for another Haven, and pitched

Taganrok. on a Nook of Land which runs out into the Palus Maotis, to the West of Afoph, where he built a very good Town, regular Fortifications, a large Mole like the Bafon of Toulon; and, for the greater Security, a Redoubt in Nature of the Riefbank has been raifed before the Entrance. When this Work was begun, the Harbour was deep enough for Ships of Force; but as the Mole was carried on, the

Sands