INLAND NAVIGATION.

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commodities from Archangel and the adjacent countries were to beconveyed through the river Onega to lake Onega by a canal; and alsothrough lake Ladoga, which lies at the foot of the gulf of Finland,by the river Neva, to Peterlburgh. But the death of this great monarchprevented the perfect completion of this noble undertaking, which wouldperhaps have rendered Petersburg the most populous city, and bestplace of traffic in the world.

In the year 1698 this work was begun by one colonel Breckell,a German, who was a colonel in the czar’s army, and who had thereputation of a good engineer as to fortifications, but very little under-stood the business of making canals. The first sluice he made wasblown up,'the water taking its course under the foundations on theapproach of the first flood, and before it was well completed, at thefirst shutting the gates; in consequence of which Breckell, when hewent to Moscow the following winter, obtained a pass, as for one of hisservants, whom he pretended he must send for necessaries for the work,and with the said pass made his escape out of the country.

During this first year he had twelve thousand men under his com-mand, employed in digging, cutting down timbers, &c. &c. whose timeand labour were all lost in one night.

This year the czar of Muscovy was in England (on his tour of Eu-rope), and by the recommendation of the Marquis of Caermarthen andMr. Dummer, then surveyor of the navy, engaged and employed cap-tain John Perry as a person every way qualified to serve his majesty,as well in his designs of establishing a fleet, as making his rivers na-vigable, where not so by nature, and cutting artificial canals to jointhem, to effect an inland navigation through a great part of the country.Captain Perry was engaged at a salary of three hundred pounds sterlinga year, and twenty-sive roubles* per month subsistence money, with

* A rouble is four shillings English, sometimes four shillings and sixpence.

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