Mofco for seven 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 Brafs 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, Brimftone, 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, Train-
Oil, Linen, Pot-Afh, Rhubarb, Ifin-

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

Their

Fishery.

Their Fishery of Seals, or Sea-Dogs, about ten Thousand a Year, yield five Thousand Measures of Oil; the Skins and Oil are fent 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; these 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, Cuftoms

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 á Quarter to three Quarters. Foreigners pay five per cent. for all Goods bought and fold by Weight, and four per cent. for those by Tale or Measure; they only pay single 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.

In 1710, the Course of Exchange was three Rubles ten Copeeks to the Pound Sterling, Exchange. whereas the intrinfick Value is only about four Rubles and a half; for the Exportations exceeding the Importations near two thousand Rubles Yearly, the national Credit of their Money is kept up, which would fall almoft to the real Worth, if any confiderable Sum above the Ballance of the Trade was to be remitted beyond Sea.

The Czar's Revenues may be about feven Millions of Rubles Yearly, arifing chiefly;

From the Custom of Goods in Archangel, and the Duties on them when bought or fold by Retail in the Country.

How arifing: fold

From Monopolies in the Czar's Hands; Pot-afh Yearly to the Value of forty thousand Dollars; Wood-afh one hundred and twenty-five thoufand Dollars; Caviar, thirty thousand Pieces of Eight, befides what is confumed in the Country; Rhubarb, about twenty thoufand Dollars; all which Commodities are never fold but for Specie Dollars; Tar, in 1706, forty thoufand Dollars, and another for ten thousand Rubles; very little fold fince.

From Inland Monopolies; Salt, five hundred thoufand Rubles; Tobacco, Boards and Bricks, which are only fold by the Czar's Officers, the Sums uncertain; Furs from Siberia in the Treasury; Brandy

24

and

and Beer, which in the Town of Mofco alone bring in fix hundred thousand Rubles per Ann.

From the Mint by Re-coinage of Dollars, at one hundred and twenty per cent. Profit.

Of OLD MONEY at thirty per cent.

Of BRASS MONEY at fixty-five per cent.

From the Chinese Trade, which, if well managed, would bring in about two or three hundred thousand Rubles Profit Yearly; the Cargoes thither are feveral Sorts of European Merchandize, but chiefly Furs, as Sables, Ermines, Black Foxes, and Grey Squirrels, from Siberia; The Returns are made in Damasks, Callicoes, blue Linen, Gold, Tapestry, China Ware, and Drugs: A great Part of these used to be fold in Lithuania and Poland, which Trade is now almost sunk.

From the Perfian Trade, whence Raw-filk, Carpets, Brocades, Sattins, Jewels, and Perfia Leather are imported, chiefly by the Armenians, who only pay two per cent. Cuftom, for whatever they tranfport through the Czar's Dominions without breaking Bulk, according to an old Privilege,

From new Impofitions on ftampt Paper; on all Law-fuits, which pay ten per cent. of the Value contested; Oven, or Chimney Money; all hackney Horfes and Carriages; all Bath-stoves, of which every Village has one in Public, and every fashionable

Houfe

Houfe one in particular, are taxed at a Ruble a Piece Yearly.

From the Abbey Lands, which are very confiderable, but have been taken into the Czar's Hands, and are managed by a fecular Commiffion, a Competency being allowed each Cloister in Proportion to the Number of Monks..

From the Land Tax, and Royal Demaines.

All the Czar's Expences are paid within the Year, which makes the prefent War fall very heavy on him; for, though he does not owe above two hundred thousand Rubles on all Accounts, his Trea fury by ill Management cannot find Credit for ten thousand Rubles; nor will the Merchants give any Bills of Exchange, till they have received the Money before hand.

Mines there are,

Of Iron, several in Russia indifferent; in Siberia very good,

Of Copper, at Olonitz.

Of Brimftone, at Cafan, and in the Mountains which bound Siberia,

Hot Baths and Mineral Waters are found about Terki on the Cafpian-Sea.

Salt