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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 877
and by the advance of this capital, not by the exchange of manufactures again{t raw
articles, Great Britain renders her trade reciprocally beneficial to Ruflia.
It will be evident that to condu& an extenfive commerce on this fyftem, requires
confiderable intelligence, an intimate acquaintance with, and unlimited confidence in the
native merchants. Nothing can refle€&t more honour on the Ruflians, as a commercial
people, than that the Britifh merchants are in conftant habits of intrufting to them the
immenfe fums employed in the trade with that country, without any fecurity beyonda
perfonal knowledge.
The trade has thus been conduéted for upwards of three centuries ; and if the favour-
able difpofition, and the character of Alexander did not preclude reflection on patft
tranfactions, the interruption which has lately taken place, and the temporary fufpenfion
of confidence could never be too deeply lamented. So many comforts have been derived
from a refidence in the metropolis of St. Peterfburgh, that not only Englifh capital has
been employed in the commerce, but the pofleflors of that capital have themfelves di-
reéted its employment; fo that, excepting in one or two inftances, the commerce with
Great Britain is not conduéted through the medium of mere agents, as formerly; but
the Englifh merchant refident in St. Peterfburgh has the fole and independent com-
mand of the capital which he embarks in commerce.
Another circumftance connected with the Britifh trade is too curious to be paffed in
filence. Every mercantile houfe in St. Peterfburgh employs certain men, called in the
language of the country, Artelfchicks, who are the counting-houfe men, and employed
by every merchant to collect payment on bills, to receive money, as well as in many
inftances to pay it in very confiderable fums. This is an important part of their truft.
There being no bankers in Ruffia, every mercantile houfe keeps its own cafh ; and as
the payments between merchants, and for bills of exchange, are made entirely in bank
notes of no higher value than five, ten, twenty-five, fifty, and one hundred roubles, moft
of them in fo tattered a flate, as to require feveral hours to count over a fum of two or
three thoufand pounds; this bufinefs is performed by artelfchicks, and very few in-
ftances have occurred of lofs by their inattention, either in mifcounting the notes, in
taking falfe notes, or, where they are much torn, in receiving parts of different bank
notes.
Thefe artelfchicks are alfo employed to fuperintend the loading and unloading the
different cargoes; they receive the moft valuable into the warehoufe, where they are left
folely under their care; and in thefe warehoufes not merely merchandife, but often
large quantities of dollars are depofited. Thefe Ruffians are moftly natives of Arch-
angel and the adjacent governments, of the loweft clafs, are often flaves, generally of
the crown; and the only fecurity of the merchant arifes in fome degree from the natural
reluctance of the Ruffian to betray confidence repofed in him; but in a much greater
from the nature of their affociation, which is called an Artel.
An Artel confifts of a certain number of labourers, who voluntarily become refpon-
fible, as a body, for the honefty of eachindividual. The feparate earnings of each man
are put into the common ftock, a monthly allowance is made for his fupport, and at
the end of the year the furplus is equally divided. The number varies in different aflo-
ciations from fifty to one hundred; and fo advantageous is it confidered to belong to
one of thefe focieties, that s00, and even 1000 roubles are paid for admifion. Thele
focieties are not bound by any law of the empire, or even written agreement; nor does
the merchant reftrain them under any legal obligation ; yet there has been no inftance
of their objecting to any juft claim, or of protecting an individual whofe conduct had
brought a demand on the fociety.
CHAP.
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