Anika Strogo-
nofF trades
with the People
o f Siberia.
nifhed; nor does any trace of the leaft communication
with Siberia again appear in the Ruffian hiftory before
the reign of Ivan Vaffilievitch II. At that period Siberia
again became an object of attention, by means of one
Anika Strogonoff, a Ruffian merchant, who had eltab-
lifhed fome falt-works at Solvytffiegodfkaia, a town in the
government of Archangel.
This perfon carried on a trade of barter with the inhabitants
of the North-Weftern parts of Siberia, who
brought every year to the ahovementioned town large
quantities of the choiceft furs. Upon their return to
then- country Strogonoff was accuftomed to fend with them
fome Ruffian merchants, who croffed the mountains,
and traded with the natives. By thefe means a con-
fiderahle number of very valuable furs were procured at
an eafy rate, in exchange for toys and other commodities
of trifling value.
This traffic was continued for feveral years, without
any interruption; during which Strogonoff rapidly
amaffed a very confiderable fortune*. At length the
Tzar Ivan Vaffilievitch II. forefeeing the advantages
which would accrue to his fubje&s, from eftablifhing a
more general and regular commerce with thefe people,
* S. R. G. VI. p. 220—223. Fif. Sib. Gef. p. 182.-
determined
determined to enlarge the communication already opened
with Siberia. Accordingly he fent a corps of troops into | | $ 3*“p'
that country. They followed the fame route which had Siberia in"the
. . . . . . . Reign o f Ivan
been dilcovered by the Ruffians in the former expedition, VaffiUevuchit
and which was lately frequented by the merchants of
Solvytfhegodfkaia. It lay along the banks of the Petf-
chora, and from thence crofled theYugorian mountains,
which form the North Eaftern boundary of Europe.
Thefe troops, however, do not feem to have paffed the
Irtilh, or to have penetrated further than the Weftern
branch o f the river Oby. Some Tartar tribes were indeed
laid under contribution ; and a chief, whofe name
was Yediger, confented to pay an annual tribute of a
thoufand fables. But this expedition was not productive .
of any laffing effects ; for foon afterwards Yediger was
defeated, and taken priforier by Kutchum Chan ; the latter
was a lineal defeendant of the celebrated Zinghis Chan ;
and had newly eftablilhed his empire in thofe parts.
This fecond inroad was probably made about the middle
of the fixteenth century ; for the Tzar Ivan Vaffilievitch
affumed the title of Lord of all the Siberian lands
fo early as 1558, before the conquefts made by Yer-
mac in that kingdom *. But probably the name of
Siberia was at that time only confined to the diffcridt
* S .R .G . VI. p .2 1 7 .
A a 2 then