BooK hofpitable regions o f Kamtchatka, can boaft no greater portion
VI~ , o f maritime country than what lies between Wiburgh and
Riga ; a mere point for fo large an empire, and rendered lefs
valuable for bordering upon the Gulf of Finland and the
Baltick, inland feas without tides, when compared with the
Ocean fcarcely fuperior to lakes, and inacceffible # for at leaft
.five months in the year.
3. The third caufe is a deficiency of experienced t feamen.
Government, indeed, retains in its pay about 18,000 failors.;
but moft o f thefe have never ferved : a few in time of peace
make annual cruifes into the Baltick, or perhaps as far as
the Engliih Channel; and others are employed in the fum-
mer feafcn in navigating the vefiels laden with merchandize
from Cronftadt to Peteriburgh. But fuch nurferies as thefe
are by no means fufficient to rear a large number of.fea-
men ; nor can the deficiency be fupplied, in cafe o f an immediate
war, by the failors from private veifels, for Ruflia has
fcarcely any merchant ihips ; which is chiefly owing to the
Rate o f vaflalage, and the ftri<a laws that prevent the natives
.from quitting their country without formal licence. A
merchant who fits out a trading veflel, muft firft apply to the
admiralty for permiifion to take on board a certain number
. o f natives : leave being obtained, the pafles for each failor
are brought and lodged in the Admiralty, and a fufficient
•fecurity, at the rate o f£30 per man, is given for their return.
Thus, without altering the fundamental laws of the kingdom,
and totally innovating on the long eftabliihed rights of
vaflalage, there cannot be an adequate number of failors to
* T h e ports in the B a ltick b eing fro z en o u r officers, that the cliftance from S t, Pe-
du r in g that period, noyeflel«*can take their- teriburgh to the Archipelago .w a s a vciy
dep a r tu re b efo re the month o f A p r i l , and for tu n a te circumftance, as the Ruffians ae-
m u ft retu r tf in Oc tobe r. , qiiired experience du r in g th e len g t 1 o
+ In the naval .e xp ed ition againft th e v o y a g e ,
"T u rk s , it was a remark made b y feveral o f -man
man a large fleet upon fudden emergencies. In a Word, no c h a p .
kingdom, without diftant colonies, without conliderable fifh-. j
eries-,-and without an extenfive fea coaft to familiarize its inhabitants
to the dangers o f the Ocean, is likely to acquire
fuch a marine as to become formidable to the great naval
powers of Europe.
The navy of Ruflia, however, with all thefe deficiencies,,
is fufficient to protect her coafts, to convoy her merchantmen,
to make her refpeftable in the Baltick, or, in cafe
of a Turkifh war, to fend a fleet into the Archipelago. It
is her advantage to maintain a good correfpondence with >
the great maritime powers, whom fhe fupplies with naval ’
flores, and who are, on that account, equally intërefted to
refpeft and cultivate her friendfhip. The frontiers o f her
immenfe dominions border upon Sweden, Poland, T u r k e y ,.
Perfia, and China ; and the fecurity o f her empire depends
as- much upon her army as her navy.
As I could not obtain an accurate lift o f thé Ruffian army,
and as it does not enter into the plan o f this work to extrait
from other publications vague accounts, the veracity o f
which I cannot, in fome meafure, confirm from my own
obfervations, I ffiall only lay before the reader the following
general information, which I procured from perfons highly
qualified to give the moft authentick intelligence.
The Ruffian army is divided into regular and irregulars
troops.
The regulars, confifting chiefly o f infantry, include all ■
thofe who wear uniforms, and are trained to European difci-
pline. According to the peace eftabliffiment in 17 78 , they
amounted to about 130,000 effective men. The Ruffians,.
when properly difciplined, are very excellent foldiers ; being
brave, fteady, obedient, patient of fatigue and hardfhip, and •
fcarcely ■