C H A P . VII.
Defcription o f the canal o f Viihnei-Voloihok, which unites
the Cafpian and the Baltick.— Canal o f Ladoga.— ProjeSl
o f uniting the Don and the Volga.
b o o k '" p H E R E is no kingdom, perhaps, in the globe wherein
r VI' , the inland navigation is carried through fuch an extent
o f country as in Ruffia; for it is poffible to convey
goods by water 447 a miles from the frontiers o f China to
Peteriburgh, with an interruption only of about 60 miles *;
and from Aftracan to the fame capital through a trail of
14 3 4 miles, without once landing them.
The water communication between Aftracan and Peterf-
burgh, or between the Cafpian and the Baltick, is formed by
means o f the celebrated canal o f Viihnei-Voloihok, which I
examined upon the fpot, and a deicription o f which I referved
for the prefent occaiion.
This great work, begun and completed under, the reign
o f Peter the Great, has been fo coniiderahly improved by order
o f the prefent emprefs, that veflels now reach Peterf-
burgh in lefs than half the time which they formerly employed.
* H a v in g in a form e r p u b lication (Ruffian
Difca ve ries, p . 245.) g iv en a ih ort ik e tch
o f the inland navigation from T o b o lfk .to the
fron tie rs o f C h in a , I ih a ll not repeat* it
h e r e ; but ihall Hate, in a few words, that
from Tobolflc to th e V o lg a . A t T o b o lik
th e b a rk s afcend th e T o b o l, th e T u r a ,
and h e T ig i l , w h ich rife s. in the mountains
fcp a ra tin g Siberia from E u rop e r from the
T ig i l th e merchandize is tranlported acrofs
a neck o f land o f abou t 52 mile9 to the
T ch u flb v a ia : th ere th e merchants re-im-
b a rk the g o o d s , defeend th e Tchuflbvaia
into the K am a , to its ju n& io n with the
V o lg a a litt le above Cafan*