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THE RUSSIAN FLEET

In the entrance of the year 1723 the Tsar,accompanied by the General-Admiral, CommodoreCosier, Captain Villebois and some few of inferiorrank, returning from the Caspian expedition, andthe rest of the sea officers present in that servicewintering at Astrakhan, orders were issued out forgetting a considerable number of ships and somegalleys in readiness for sea ; and being unwilling tolet so many ships lie useless in his havens, as havingmore already than he was able to man, besidesseveral abuilding, part whereof near ready to launch,he determined for the improvement of his seamen tosend some of them up the Mediterranean, withmerchandise that might turn to account, designingalso if possible to sell some of those supernumeraryvessels. For the English shipbuilders have alwaysused their utmost endeavours to put the Tsar out ofconceit with all ships but such as are built by them-selves or the Russ builders at St. Petersburg. Andwhen any others fall into their hands to be repairedthey take especial care to omit the ornamental part,whereby they serve as foils to the ships built inRussia, surpassing all others in the beauty of theircarved works and richness of their gildings ; fullscope being given herein to the builder’s fancy. TheDevonshire, L’Esperance and New Kronslot, threeships brought from Holland, were pitched upon forthis purpose ; and ordered to take in tar, soap, bees-

Stralsund, Wismar, and Liineburg—were exempt; as also were thoseof Stettin, Kolberg, and Kammin. To Swedish, Dutch, English,and French vessels a reduction was granted. In 1853 the duesbrought in a revenue of 2,530,000 thalers (about 350,000/.). TheUnited States made a treaty with Denmark, and decided not topay dues in future. A conference of nearly all the EuropeanPowers met at Copenhagen in January 1856. A treaty was madein April 1857 by the terms of which Denmark, in return for a sumof 30,476,325 Danish reichsthalers, agreed to the abolition of theSound Dues (Meyer’s Konversations-Lexikon , vol. xvi. 1897).