book negleCfed under his fucceiibrs, and was not completed until
u - I ^ th e reign o f his daughter Elizabeth: it has been ftill further
beautified and improved by the prefent emprefs; and.
is now applied for building as well as careening ihips of
the line.
At the extremity of thefe docks is a great refervoir, 568
feet in length, which contains water fufficient, and half the
quantity over, to fupply all the docks; which is pumped
into it by means o f a fire engine, the diameter o f whofe
cylinder is fix feet. The length o f this work, from the beginning
o f the canal to the end of the laft dock, is 4221
feet. The fides o f the docks are faced, with ftone, and the
bottom is paved with granite: they are 40 feet deep, and
105 broad; and are capable o f containing nine men o f war
upon the ftocks.
Nothing can convey a higher idea o f the vaft abilities and
perfevering genius o f Peter the Great, than the fituation in
which he found the Ruffian navy, and the ftate in which he
left it. Though in the beginning o f his reign he did not pof-
Ms a fingle fhip in the Baltick, yet in the courfe o f a few
years he equipped a fleet o f fifty fail of the line, which rode
miftrefs o f that fea.
Under his fucceffors the Ruffian navy was greatly negleCt-
ed ; and it was in fo bad a condition at the acceffion of the
prefent emprefs, that fire may be faid to have almoft equalled
her great predecefFor in the creation of a new fleet; ffie invited
feveral Engliffi captains and ihip-builders into Ruffia,
and particularly admiral Knowles, who was remarkable for
his ikill in naval architecture. Under her aufpices Europe
lately beheld with aftoniffiment the Ruffian flag difplayed
in the Archipelago, and the Turkiffi fleet annihilated at
Tchefme by a fquadron from the North.
Ruffia
Ruffia produces every article neceffary for the conftruCtion
and equipment o f ihips, which are built chiefly at Cronftadt,«.
Peteriburgh, and Archangel : thofe conftruCted at Cronftadt
and at Peteriburgh are framed with oak ; while thofe from
Archangel are made with larch-wood ; the latter are much,
lefs adapted than the former for an engagement. For the
fupply o f the do'ck-yards at Peteriburgh and Cronftadt, the
oak is fent from the province o f Cafan ; the Ukraine and
the government of Mofcow fupply the hemp; the mails are
procured from the vaft tradts of foreft which lie between
Novogorod and the Gu lf o f Finland ; or are furniffied by
the provinces lately difmembered from Poland. Pitch and
tar are obtained from Wiburgh.
Manufactures o f cordage and fail-cloths are eftabliffied in
different parts o f the empire ; and the magazines o f Peteriburgh
and Archangel are always plentifully ftored with large
quantities o f both thofe articles.
Lift o f the R u s s i a n N a v y in OCtober, 1 7 7 8 ,
N am e s . G u n s . S ta tion . W h en b u ilt.
I Ez e z ie t So Cronftadt T775*
2 Ifido r 74 D it to 1 7 7 2 .
3 St. A n d rew 74 D it to 1 7 70 .
4 C lem en t 74‘ D it to 1 7 70 .
5 T ch e fm è 74 D it to 1 7 7 0 .
6 Vladimir 66 D it to 1774*
7 V e k e ila f 66 D it to * 7 7 1 .
8 D e N eife 1 66 D it to I77* .
9 Am e rica 66 D it to 4773-
10 P e r ifla f 66 D it to r 772*
11 Vfe vo lod 66 D it to 1 7 6 9 .
12 Demitri Doniki 66 D it to 17 7 u
l l Pam and En fia ti a 66 D it to 17 70 .
*4 Viéìior •• 66 D it to 477 r*
15 Europa 66 D it to 1768.*
26 S a ra to f 66 D it to 176 s*
17 Pobeda 66 D it to 1 7 7 a .
18 R a tif lo f 66 D it to 176 9 .
*9 M iranofitz 66 D it to 1.77»