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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA, 879
fea. Atlength, in 1741, the Britifh merchants of St. Peterfburgh, at the perfuafion of
Captain Elton, an Fnelifhman in the Ruffian fervice, renewed the commerce, and eftab-
lifhed a fa€tory at Refhd in the province of Ghilan. Some difputes unfortunately arif-
ing, as well between the Englith themfelves, as between the Ruffians and Elton, he en-
tered into the fervice of Nadir Shah, and aflifled in conftructing fome veffels on the
Cafpian. This circumftance gave umbrage to the court of St. Peterfburgh, and Eliza-
beth, in 1746, withdrew her permiflion to the Englifh merchants, of pafling through:
her dominions for the Cafpian commerce.. On the death of Nadir Shahin 1747, who,.
in confequence of Elton’s influence, had permitted the Englifh to trade to Perfia, their
coed was pillaged by one of the pretenders to the throne, and their commerce anni-
ilated *.
The Ruffians purfued with perfeverance the track opened by our merchants, and:
under Alexéy Michaelovitch, Aftracan became the centre of the Perfian trade; to»
which place merchants from Bucharia, Crim Tartary, Armenia, Perfia, and even India,
reforted. The veffels of the Ruffians being rudely framed, without decks, and of courfe-
expofed to conftant fhipwrecks f, the T’zar drew from Amfterdam feveral fhip-builders, .
for the purpofe of conftructing veffels more calculated to weather the ftorms of this fea;.
but thefe defigns being fruftrated by the rebellion of the Coffacks of the Don, under
Stenko Razin {, the trade of Ruflia was annihilated by their devaftations.. On the
quelling of the revolt, and punifhment of their leader, the greater part of the commerce
fell into the hands of the Armenian merchants eftablifhed in. Aftracan, who fettled face.
tories both in the Ruilian and Perfian territories §.
During this whole period the Ruffian and Armenian traders penetrated. no further
than Niezabad, a port between Derbent and Baku;. and their chief fettlement was at
Shamakee, capital of Shirvan, until 1711, when that town was taken by the Lefgees,.
and the factory deftroyed.
In 1721, this commerce was again revived: Peter having marched an army into
Perfia, over-ran the provinces of Dageftan, Shirvan, Ghilan, and Mafanderan, on the
eaftern and fouthern coafts of the Cafpian, and obtained their ceflion by a formal treaty:
Soon afterwards, he eftablifhed a Ruffian company trading to the Cafpian; but the
whole capital confifted only of four hundred fhares, of the value of 30l.’each. The-
chief fettlements were formed at Aftracan and Kiflar.
The poffeffion of thefe diftant provinces proving expenfive and of little advantage,
Anne reftored them to the fophy |] on condition that the Ruffian merchants fhould en-
joy liberty of trade to all the havens of the Cafpian without paying duty, fhould be al-
lowed to build houfes and magazines, and not be fubject to the laws of the country F.
The privileges of this company were confirmed by Anne and Elizabeth ; but the com-
merce was inconfiderable until the reign of Catharine If. who, in 1762, abolifhed this.
exclufive right, and permitted all her fubjeéts to trade with Perfia; prohibiting, on:
account of the numerous banditti who infeft the roads, the inland traffic trom Kiflar,
and the other Cafpian ports to Shamakee. Two Ruffian confuls refide at Baku and.
-
® See Hanway’s Britifh trade over the Cafpian Sea, in his Travels, vols. i, and ii. ; and chap. xxxiit. in.
the fecond volume of Cooke’s Travels through the Ruffian Empire to Perfia. Both thefe accounts, how
ever contradi&tory to each other, fufficiently prove the unfortunate mifunderftandings Which had arifen. bee
tween the Englifh who engaged in this trade.
S RG. vil. p.499- *
Bufching, ix. 80—88. For an aceount of Stenko Rafin, fee Schmidt, Ruff. Gef. vol. ii. ps 32. Mote
ley’s Hiftory of Catharine, vol. i, p. 227. “
§ S.R. G. vii. p. 505. | S. R. G. ip. 154, Ke 4 Guldenftaedt.
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