core’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 7 13
Save, and transferred to four different mailers. At one time he was bound back toback with another prifoner for eight and forty hours, and expofed almofr naked at thevarious places where {laves are brought for l'ale. He then bore the rank of colonel inthe Ruffian fervice, but to leffen the price of his ranfcm, afferted that he was only acaptain. Being accidentally met by a gentleman, to whom he was perfonally known,he fent an account of his fituation to the French Ambaffador, who found means to pur-chafe him for 300 ducats. But his Turkiih mafter difcovering his rank, reclaimed hisprifoner, and threatened to recover him by force. The French Ambaffador, however,applied to the Grand Vizir, who decided in his favour: Count Brown recovered hisliberty, and returned to Ruffia, in which fervice he was gradually promoted, and hasbeen lately appointed governor of Riga , a place of the greateft trull.
Over the Duna, at Riga , is a floating wooden bridge, forty feet in breadth, and twothoufand fix hundred in length. A row of piles extends from one fhore to the other;each pile, is from twenty-five to forty feet long, according to the depth of the river, andappears about four feet above the level of the water. To thefe piles the parts of thebridge are loofely fattened, by means of iron chains fixed to the tranfverfe beams Thebridge rifes and falls with the river, and' under the wheels of heavy laden carriages,plays as if actuated by a fpring. It is the fafhionable walk, and is an agreeable bufyfcene, when crowded with people, and lined on each fide with fhips taking in or unload-ing their cargoes. In the beginning of winter, when the froft fets in, the bridge is re-moved ; the piles remaining in the water are forced up by the ice, and conveyed toland, and the whole is again laid down in fpring.
The importance of the trade of Riga will appear from the following tables:
Number of Veflels which arrived at Riga and 1783-
0*
CO
C-"
Veflels which arrived and failed from Riga in 1784;fpecifying thofe which wintered there.
Danifli,
1782.
.>25
1783.
14;
Danifli,
Wintered.
Arrived.
160
Departed.
160
French,
-
8
—
10
TO
From St. Peterfburgh,
-
43
38
From St. Feterlburgh,
H
3 2
3 6
Fnglifh,
-
94
200
iinglifh,
3
l lS
J 74
-
6
I 22
Portuguefe,
—
4
4
Swedifh,
-
298
422
Pruflian,
2
77
77
Pruffian,
-
*53
12 3
Swediih,
4
3 i>
3 >i
From Oftend, -
- ■
I2 3
66
—
170
170
Portuguefe,
-
7
7
From Oftend,
—
33
33
American,
-
—
1
Genoa,
—
1
I
From Bremen,
-
1.6
34
Hamburgh,
—
12
12
Dantzic,
-
5
IO
Lubec,
4
27
27
Lubec,
-9
26
Bremen,
1
2 5
24
Roftoc,
Hamburgh,
-
, 2 3
3
Dantzic,
—
3
3
-
5
5
Roftoc,
—
I I
11
Pernau,
-
4
b
i'crnau and Revef
—
4
4
-
3 °
38
>5
3°
20
Total,
-
961
1,254
Total,
43
1,085
1,0-7
I
4 v
l'(lilts
t
VOL. VI.