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$22 : COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
During the fhort reign of Peter the Second, the falaries of the members were difcon-
tinued, and the academy neglected by the court; but it was again patronized by the
Emprefs Anne, who even added a feminary for the édication of youth, under the fu-
perintendance of the profeffors. Both inftitutions flourifhed under the dire€tion of
baron Korf; but, on his death, an ignorant perfon being appointed prefident, many
of the moft able members quitted Ruffia. At the acceflion of Elizabeth new life and
vigour were reftored to the academy: the original plan was enlarged and improved ;
fome of the moft learned foreigners were again drawn to Peterfburgh, and, what was
confidered as a good omen for the literature of Ruflia, two natives, Lomonofof and
Rumoviky, men of genius and abilities, who had profecuted their {tudies in foreign
univerfities, were enrolled among the members. ‘The annual income was increaled to
10,659!., and foon afterwards the new inftitution took place.
The Emprefs Catherine, with her ufual zeal for promoting the diffufion of know-
ledge, took this ufeful Society under her more immediate prote¢tion ; fhe altered the
court of directors greatly to the advantage of the whole body; corrected many abufes
and infufed a new fpirit into their refearches. By her particular recommendation, the
moft ingenious profeffors vifited the various provinces of her dominions; and as the
fund of the Academy was not fufficient to fupply the whole expence, the Emprefs bef-
towed a largefs * of 2,000l., which has been occafionally renewed.
The purport of thefe travels will appear from the initrutions given by the academy.
The perfons engaged in thefe expeditions were ordered to purfue their inquiries on the
different forts of earths and waters; on the beft methods of cultivating the barren and
defart fpots; on the local diforders incident to men and animals, and the moft effica-
cious means of relieving them; on breéding cattle, and particularly fheep; on the
rearing of bees and filk-worms; on the different places and objeéts for fifhing and
bunting ; on minerals; on the arts and trades: and on the indigenous plants to form a
Flora Ruffica. ‘Vhey were particularly inftructed to reétify the longitude and latitude
of the principal towns; to make aftronomical, geographical, and meteorological ob-
fervations; to trace the courfe of the rivers; to take the moft exact charts; to defcribe
with accuracy the manners, cufloms, drefles, languages, antiquities, traditions, hiftory,
religion; in a word, to gain every information which might tend to illuftrate the real
ftate of the Empire.
In confequence of thefe expeditions, perhaps no country can boaft, within the {pace
of afew years, fuch a number of excellent publications on its internal ftate, natural
productions, topography, geography, and hiftory; on the manners, cuftoms and lan-
guages of the different people, as have iffued from the prefs of the Academy.
The moft remarkable of thefe diftinguifhed travellers are Pallas, Gmelin, Gulden-
flaedt t+, Georgi, and Lepekin.
- The firft tranfactions of this foeiety ‘were publifhed in 1728, amd intitled, Commen-
tarit Academia Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitane, ad An. 1726, with a dedication to
Peter II. The publication was continued under this form until the year 1747, when
the tranfactionswere called Novi { Commentarii Academia, &c. In1677 the Academy again
changed the title into 4éfa Academia Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitane, and altered the
* Bach. Ruoff. Bibl. vol. 1. p. 50.
+ The reader will find an account of Pallas, Gmelin, and Guldenftaedt in the next chapter.
t « Hunce autem et fequentes tomos Novorum Commentariorum nomine ideo venire, quia Academia nune
novis legibus inftructa eft; et clafies hic aliter, ac in precedentibus tomis fieri folebat, difpofite inveniun-
tur.” Nov. Com. Vol. i. p. 4. {n this fame volume the ftatutes for the Regulation of the Socicty,
der its new inftitutious, are inferted, p. g—33.
atrange-
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