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710 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
the Swedes by Peter the Great, and confirmed tothe Ruflians by the peace of Ry ftadt,
in 1721.
The reformation was firft introduced into Livonia and Efthoniain 1522, and foon em-
braced by all ranks of people. ‘The Lutheran religion is the moft prevalent ; but all other
fects are tolerated.
Narva and its fuburbs, according to a geographical divifion, are fituated partly in In-
gria, and partly in Efthonia, as the river Narova divides thofe two provinces; but,
in the divifion of governments eftablifhed by the Emprefs, is comprifed in Ingria, or the
government of St. Peterfburgh.
Narva ftands on the Narova, near one hundred miles from Peterfburgh, twenty-four
from the point where that river iffues from the lake, and eight miles from its mouth,
where it falls into the Gulf of Finland. The houfes are built of brick {tuccoed white,
and it has more the appearance of a German than of a Ruffiantown. In the fuburbs,
called Ivangorod, the coloflal remains of an ancient fortrefs, built by Ivan Vaflilievitch
the Great, impend in a picturefque manner over the fteep banks of the Narova.
The principal exports are hemp, flax, timber, and corn; the imports, falt, tobacco,
wine, falted herrings, fpices, tea, fugar, and other grocery wares.
I did not omit vifiting the two falls of the river Narova, which have been pompoufly
defcribed by feveral travellers, but appear trifling and uninterefting to thofe who have
feen the fall of the Rhine at Schaffhaufen, of the Dahl, near Geile, in Sweden, and the
ftupendous cataracts of Trolhetta. he breadth of the river is two hundred feet, and
the perpendicular height of the falls fcarcely exceeds twenty. The {teep and chalky
banks of the river, its rapid and turbid ftream, and a rocky ifland which feparates the
two falls, form a rugged and picturefque fcene, much heightened by the foam and roar-
ing of the cataract.
Near Narva is the fpot celebrated for the victory which Charles the Twelfth, in the
nineteenth year of his age, gained over the Ruffian army (1700). Authors prone to
exaggeration, and willing to render more marvellous the exploits of the Swedifh hero,
have diminifhed his army to three thoufand, and increafed the Ruffians to one hundred
thoufand. The faét feems to be, that Charles headed, on that memorable day, at leaft
nine thoufand men, and the Ruffians did not exceed thirty-two thoufand*. And it is
no wonder that the veteran troops of Sweden, led on by their undaunted monarch,
fhould triumph over a raw undifciplined army, commanded by generals at variance
with each other. Six thoufand Ruffians, including thofe drowned in attempting to
pals the Narova, fell in this engagement ; but the confequences were {till more fatal to
the Ruffian arms, as the whole artillery was loft, and the greater part of the infantry
furrendered to the conqueror. ‘The number of prifoners was fo great, that the officers
were only detained; the reft were driven, like a flock of fheep, to the diftance of a league
from Narva, and difmiffed.
Peter the Great, not difpirited with this lofs, exclaimed, ‘* I expected that the Swedes
would beat my troops; but in time they will teach us to conquer them.” Nor was
this prediction long before it was verifie?. In lefs than five years from the defeat at
‘Narva, he revenged the difhonour of his arms on that unfortunate day, by taking the
town by aflault; and gave a fingular proof of his humanity. He traverfed the ftreets
on horfeback, with his drawn {word in his hand, reftrained his troops from pillage, killed
two who refufed to defift, placed guards at the doors of the principal houfes and before
* See L’Evefque’s Hift. de Ruffie, vol. iv. P- 1656
the
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