C O M M E R C E B E T W E E N
he then goes to the houfe of the latter, and adjufts
the price over a difli- of tea. Both parties- next return
to the magazine,; and the goods in queftion are
there carefully fealed in the prefenee of the Ghinefe
merchant. When this ceremony is over,; they both
repair to Mairnatlchinthe Ruffian; ehoofes the commodities
he wants-, not forgetting to guard againft' fraud by
a ftridt infpedfion. He then- takes the precaution- to
leave behind a perfon of confidence, who remains in the
warehoufe until the Ruffian goods are delivered, when
he returns to KiaGhta with the Ghinefe merchandize *.
Ruffian ex- The principal commodities which Ruffia exports to
ports.. * ft
China are as follow-1
F U R S and P E L T R Y " .
It wouW be uninterefting to- enumerate all the furs
and fkins-t brought for fale to Kiachta, Which form
the mod: important article of exportation on the fide o f
the Ruffians, The moft valuable of thefe furs are the:
fkins of fea-otters,, beavers, foxes, wolves, bears, Buchanan
lambs, Aftracan, fheep, martens, fables, ermines,,
grey-fquirrels.
* Pallas. Reife-, P. III. p, 135-.
-f- The lift o f a ll the furs and fkins brought to Kiachta, with their
ftveral prices, is to be found in Pallas Reife, Part III. p. 136 to p, 142-
See hereafter, p. 242.
The
R U S S i A A N D CHI NA , ■ ,a,.
The greatefi: part of thefe furs and fkins are drawn
from Siberia and the New Difcovered Iflands: this fup-
ply however is not alone fully adequate to the demand
of the market at Kiachta. Foreign furs are therefore
imported to St. Peterfburg, and from thence lent to the
frontiers. England alone furnifhes a large quantity of
beaver and other fkins, which The draws from Hudfon’s
Bay and Canada ft
C L O T H .
Cloth forms the fécond article of exportation which
Ruffia exports to China.
* Lift o f furs fent from England to Peterfburg in .the following
Otter«(kins.
7H 3
■ 12686
10703
years:
Beaver-ftyps.
177m 46460
1776, -27700
1 777» 2 7 3 l6
T h e fineft Hudfon’s beavers have been fold upon an average at Pe-
terlburg from ■ 70 to 90, roubles per' 10 lkins.
Inferior ditto and beftCanafebeavers from 50 — 75
Youpg or cub.-beavers from 20 — 3.3
Beft attpr-ikms from ji . go — ioq
Inferior ones from ------ 60 — 80 '
The qualities of thefe fkins being very different oecafion great variations
in the prices.
A t Kiachta, the beft Hudfbn’s Bay beaver
fetches from ---------- . 7 to 20 roubles per ikin.
Otters’ ditto ------ 6 — 33
Black foxes fkins from Canada are aifo fometimes fent from England
to Peterfburg.
A t Kiachta they fetch from 1 to 100 roubles per fkin.
H h a The