COXE’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.,

88 5

in all theTurkilh feas, a right of puffing through;he Dardanelles , all the commercialimmunities granted to the moft favoured natmns ui amity uuth the Porte the towns ofAzof and Taganroc, the three fortreffcs of Kmburn, Jvertfh, and femkale, and alarge diftrift between the Bog and the Dniepei•_ ■

Many fpeculations have been made concerning the extent and value of the trafficwhich Ruffia w likely to eftablifli in the Black Sea , and the revo ution wbch it mayeffect in the commerce cf Europe , by transferring part or the Baltic trade to the ports ofthe Mediterranean . In confequcnce of this change, it »<. ^lp'd, the fouthein p t o-vinces will find a vent for their fuperfluous productions ; the Ruffian yelfols will open aprofitable trade with Critn Tartary, with the Auftnan provinces at Kiha-Nova, with theTurks at Conftantinople, and with the Greeks m the Levant. ihe non ^ Siberia ,the corn hemp and flax of the Ukraine , and the contiguous piovmces, will be fentfrom the haveiis of the Black Sea, through the Dardanelles ^ to fupply the ports of theMediterranean; and thus France and Spain will be furniflied with naval (laies by acheaper and more expeditious navigation than through the Baltic and the NorthernOcean As the completion of this great and extenfive projeft can only be the work oftime, and depends on a variety of contingencies, we cannot pretend to form any abiolutedecifion on the probability of its failure or fuccefs; but a conhderable light may bethrown on this intricate fubjeft by an attention to the following objefts of inquiry *. .

I The traffic on the Turkifh Seas before the peace, with an account of their havensand exports H The ports and territory ceded to Ruffia, and the new towns con-

ft tufted by the Emprel, HE The tffiatt

eSliffi an LtercoTrfobeLS the Bla'ck Sea, through the Dardanelles , with the ports

traffic"orTthe Turkifh Seas before the peace of 1774, was chiefly carried on by1 ^-^he trail , Turks- and the Ruffians poffeffed no port, either on the

bie Greeks, Armenia .s, ^ capital of the Don Coffacs, was the place where

S^anf Azof or the Euxine ; i cnerxaiK., t r , „ ,

the productions of this empire and Turkey were reciprocal y exchanged. The Greek* P roaUL “ 01 fa ji e d Taganroc, where they perrormed quarantine, and then

and Armenian 1ner A to Wkalk; having firft paid the duty at Temernik,proceeded with the. the forfrefs of St. Dmitri. Tcherkaflc was alfo the

a final} vula B e °* . j d Amerce with the merchants of Kuban and Com Tartary.emponum of Greek wines, raiftns, dried figs, almonds, oil, rice, faffron,

P^«h m Cs uc„° Skpens. hides and leather, coarie linen, hardware,

and caviare t &c. The Greek and Armenian merchants, m returning to Conftantt-nopltg fuppiied the ports of the Sea of Azof and the Eotctne with Ruffian and European

“inTrdSo form a general idea of the traffic in the Turkiih Seas, we moft take a

curfory view of their lla ’ e ”t ''g| P °'k SeatefcmdK, by the Greek and Armenian mer-Among the harbouro the, Tar J y , called Taurida ; namely,

chants, the moft q , late ly ceded to Ruffia, Balaklava, Koiiof, and Caffa,

Yen,kale , one of the »' “f “ de r C ription. Caffa and the whole peninfola.

which weTbete under the dominion of a khan, who was avaffal to the Turks, were,

* In this enquiry I have principally followed Guldenllae^t’s Effay Von der Hafen am Azowfchen'Schwartzcn and Weifien Meere in Journ. St Pet f<-r 1776 .

t See Tarif of the Imported and Exported Wares. Buf. Hift. Mag. xi. p. 373.

1 h Y