All the Czar's Anchors are made at Dobrove, about an hundred English Miles from Veronitz, mearer Mofco.

A Greek, who has been in England, chufes

}· 260

good Timber,

A Greek, who fends down any Stuff that

that}

comes to Hand,

} 260

The Labourers are Peasants, obliged to work in the Woods for Nothing, which Hardship has made several Hundreds defert the Country.

Dock-builder, Annisée Miketowick, a Pole,

Affiftant, a Ruffian,

Two hundred Carpenters,

Yearly Rubles.

700

260

3650

Several hundred Labourers, which the neighbouring Provinces are obliged to fend in by Turns, and furnish them with Bread and Subfiftence for fo many Months.

At OLONITZ, in the Ladoga-Sea.

YEARLY SALARY.

The Communications which the Czar has ordered between the several Rivers, with a ProCommunications fpect of advancing his Trade and and Wolga. Shipping, are between the Don and

between the Don

Wolga.

This Paffage was first endeavoured to be cut by Sultan Selim, for the better TransporDon and Wolga. tation of his Army to Afracan and the Cafpian Sea against the Perfians, in 1560, but his

Defign was defeated by the continual Irruptions of the Coffacks and Russes. This Enterprize lay dead till about 1693, when the Czar employed an Engineer, Col. Breckel, to Work on the Communication, but being very ill ufed by Prince Boris Alexewitz Galliczyn Governor of the Province, who openly oppofed the Work, and who would neither furnish Men or Materials in Pursuance of the Czar's Orders, the Engineer, to avoid his Perfecution, fled away to Perfia. In 1699, another Engineer, Captain Perry, was employed in this Service, but met with the fame Difcouragement from Prince Galliczyn as his Predeceffor; notwithstanding which, the Work was carried on with pretty good Succefs till the End of December 1710, when the Czar ordered it to be laid afide till after the War, fince he could not fo well spare the Number of Men required in the prefent Juncture. The digging Work is about half finished; twelve thoufand Men and about five Years Time, would ferve to perfect the Whole; the Channel was to be large and deep enough for Ships of eighty Guns to pass; it is to be dug through near three English Miles, in which Space there is a large Mountain, between the Rivers Lavala and Camifbinka; the first falls into the Don about one hundred and thirty English Miles from the Canal, and the last into the Wolga, about nine English Miles from the Canal; fix Sluices are begun but none finished, and fix more are to be made in the Camifbinka: In all from the Lavala to the Place where the Camifbinka falls into the Wolga, are fixty-two thousand three hundred English Feet. Q3

The

The fecond Communication is by a Canal near the Ivan Ozero, between a Branch of

Don and Occa.

the River Don and the Tula, which falls into the Occa; this Work is above eight English Miles long, and has feveral Stone Sluices, though not quite brought to Perfection, and is only defigned for a Paffage for large Boats,

Wolga and
Ladoga-Sea,

The third Communication is between the Wolga and the Wolchow, a River which runs by Novogrod and falls into the LadogaSea: This Canal is cut near Wifnei Woloczok, I think not above an English Mile long, and quite finished; a Mathematician was fent down this Spring to take an exact Survey of it and the upper Parts of the two Rivers; and another Engineer was at the fame time difpatched to view the Rivers about the Biel Ozora, and other Lakes, to fee whether he cannot find a more convenient Paffage into the Ladoga Sea; the River Wolchow below Novogrod having two or three dangerous Falls. This Communication seems to be more for Curiosity than Ufe, for the Frigates now bringing from Casan, have been three Years in their Paffage; they are frozen up the fix Winter Months; during the Spring Floods for five or fix Weeks it is scarce poffible for them to mount the Wolga against the Current; towards the Autumn the Waters are very low, and they are often forced to warp round the Points of Land and Sand Banks: This laft Winter a Carpenter was

fent

fent to cut down Oak for fix Fifty-gun Ships at Cafan, the Timbers were to be rough hewn there, and transported in flat-bottom Boats to Petersburgh; by the Time these will be on the Road, it will be certainly known whether this Communication can be of any Use to Commerce.

These Obfervations on the State of Ruffia are all that occur to me as neceffary, till the Influence of this Nation in the present

Conclufion.

War, and its Share in the general Affairs of Europe, makes this Country better known to Strangers.