occafion was observed another custom of the Afiatic nations, and indeed of the earliest ages: They engraved the treaty on two large pillars, erected on the fpot, to determine the boundaries of the two empires. Three years after this, the Czar fent a Danith Gentleman, Mr. Ifbrand Ide, upon an embaffy to China; in confequence of which, an advantageous commerce fubfifted between the two nations till the rupture in 1722; but, fince this interruption, it has been refumed again with new vigour.

EXPEDITION to the PALUS MAOTIS. CONQUEST of ASOPH.

The CZAR fends Gentlemen into young foreign Countries, for their Improvement.

It was not so easy to settle a peace with the Turks; this even feemed a proper time for the Czar to raise himself on their ruin. The Venetians, whom they had long overpowered, began to retrieve their loffes. Morofini, the fame who furrendered Candia to the Turks, was difpoffeffing them of Peloponnefus, whereby he obtained the title of Peloponnefian, an honour that revived the memory of the Roman republic. Leopold, Emperor of Germany, had gained fome advantages over the Ottoman forces in Hungary; and the Poles were at last able to repel the incurfions of the Crim Tartars.

Peter improved these circumstances to difcipline his troops, and to acquire, if poffible, the empire of the Black fea. General Gordon marched along the Tanais towards Afoph, with his numerous regiment of 5000 men; he was followed by General Le Fort, with his regiment of 12,000; by a body of Strelitz, under the command of Scheremetow and Shein, Officers of Prussian extraction; by a body of Coffacs, and by a large train of artillery. In fhort, every thing was ready for this grand expedition in 1694.

The Ruffian army began its march, under the command of Marfhal Scheremetow, or Scheremetoff, in the beginning of the fummer of 1695, in order to attack the town of Afoph, fituated at the mouth of the Tanais, or river Don, and at the further extremity of the Palus Maotis, now called the Zabac fea. The Czar was with the troops, but appeared only as a volunteer, being defirous to learn, before he would take upon him to command. During their march, they ftormed two forts, which the Turks had erected on the banks of the river.

This was an arduous enterprise; Afoph heing very strong, and defended by a numerous garrifon. The Czar had employed feveral Venetians in building long boats like the Turkish faics, which, together with

two Dutch frigates, were to fall down the Veronife; but, hot being ready in time, they could not get into the fea of Afoph. All beginnings are difficult: The Ruffians, having never as yet made a regular fiege, mifcarried in this their first attempt.

A native of Dantzic, whofe name was Jacob, hád the direction of the artillery, under the command of General Shein; for as yet they had none but foreign Officers belonging to the train, and indeed none but foreign Engineers and foreign pilots. This Jacob had been condemned to the batogs by Shein, the Pruffian General. It feemed as if these severities were neceffary at that time, in fupport of authority. The Ruffians fubmitted to fuch treatment, notwithstanding their difpofition to mutiny; and, after they had undergone that corporal punishment, they continued in the fervice as ufual. Our Dantzicker was of another way of thinking, and determined to be revenged; whereupon he nailed up the cannon, deferted to the enemy, turned Mahometan, and defended the town with great fuccefs. This example fhews, that the lenity now ufed in Mufcovy is preferable to the ancient rigour, and a more effectual method of keeping men to their duty, who, by an improvement in their education, have imbibed fome notions of honour. At that time it was neceffary to treat the lower clafs of people with great feverity; but, fince their manners are changed, the clemency of the Empress Elifabeth has completed the work, which her auguft father began to effectuate by the authority of laws. The lenity of this Princefs has been carried to a degree unparalleled in the hiftory of any nation: She has promised, that, during her reign, no-body fhall be put to death; and fhe has kept her word. She is the firft Sovereign that ever fhewed this regard to the human fpecies: Malefactors are now condemned to ferve in the mines and other public works; a regulation not lefs prudent than humane, fince it renders their punifhment of fome advantage to the ftate. In other countries, they only know how to put a criminal to death, with the apparatus of an executioner; but are not able to prevent the commiffion of crimes. The terror of death does not, perhaps, make such an impreffion on evil doers, who are generally given to idleness, as the fear of chastisement and hard labour, renewed every day.

To return to the fiege of Afoph, which was now defended by the pe fon who had before directed the approaches: The befiegers made a vain attempt to form the town, and, after lofing a great number of men, were obliged to raise the fiege. Perfeverance

Perfeverance in his undertakings was the characteristic of Peter the Great. In the fpring of 1696, he marched a fecond time, to attack the town of Afoph with a more confiderable army. About this time died the Czar John. Though Peter never felt any diminution of his authority from his brother, who had only the name of Czar; yet he had been under fome restraint, in regard to appearances. The expences of John's houshold were applied, upon that Prince's demife, to the maintenance of the army; a very confiderable relief to a government that had not near fo large a revenue as at prefent. Peter wrote to the Emperor Leopold, to the States-general, and to the Elector of Brandenburg, in order to obtain Engineers, Gunners, and feamen; he likewife took fome Calmucs into his pay, whofe light horse are of very great fervice against the Crim Tartars.

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The most agreeable part of the Czar's fuccefs was that of his little fleet, which he had the pleasure to fee completely equipped and properly commanded. It beat the Turkish faics that had been fent from Conftantinople, and took fome of them from the enemy: the fiege was carried on regularly, though not intirely after our manner; the trenches were three times deeper than ours, and the parapets were as high as ramparts: At length the garrifon furrendered, the 28th of July, 1696, N. S. without obtaining any of the honours of war; they were likewife obliged to deliver up the traitor Jacob to the befiegers.

The Czar immediately began to improve the fortifications of Afoph with variety of outworks; he likewife ordered a harbour to be dug, capable of holding large veffels, with a defign to make himself master of the freights of Caffa, or the Cimmerian Bof. phorus, which opens the paffage into the Euxine or Black fea; places celebrated in history for the armaments of Mithridates. He left two and-thirty armed saics before Afoph, and made all the preparations for fitting out a ftrong fleet against the Turks, which was to confift of nine fixty gun fhips, and of one-and-forty carrying from thirty to fifty pieces of cannon. The principal Nobility, and the wealthieft merchants, were obliged to contribute to the fitting out of this fleet; and, as he apprehended that the eftates of the clergy ought to bear a proportion in the fervice of the common cause, orders were iffued out, that the Patriarch, the Bishops, and the fuperior clergy, fhould find money to forward this new expedition, in honour of their country, and for the geperal advantage of Chriftendom. He likewife obliged the Coffacs to build a number

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of light boats, fuch as they use themselves, and with which they might easily infeft the whole coaft of Crim Tartary. The Turks were to be alarmed with this great armament, the first that ever had been attempted on the Palus Mæotis. The fcheme was to drive the Tartars and Turks for ever out of the Taurica Cherfonefus, and afterwards to establish a free and eafy commerce with Perfia through Georgia. This is the very branch of trade which the Greeks formerly carried on to Colchis, and to this peninfula of Crim Tartary, which the Czar feemed likely to fubdue.

After his fuccessful campaign against the Turks and Tartars, he was willing to accustom his people to splendid fhews, as well as to military toil. With this view, he made his army enter Mofcow under triumphal arches, in the midft of fire-works and other rejoicings, intended to decorate the folemnity. The foldiers, who had fought on board the Venetian faics against the Turks, moved first in proceffion. Marshal Scheremetow, the Generals Gordon and Shein, Admiral Le Fort, and the other General Officers, took the precedency of their Sovereign, who pretended he had no rank` in the army, being defirous to convince the Nobility, by his example, that merit ought to be the only road to military preferment.

This triumphal entry feemed in fome measure to refemble thofe of the ancient Romans, especially in this; that, as the tri umphers expofed the captives to public view in the streets of Rome, and fometimes put them to death; in the fame manner, the flaves taken in this expedition followed the army; and Jacob, who had betrayed them the year before, was carried in a cart, with the gibbet, to which he was faftened, after he had been broke upon the wheel.

Upon this occafion was truck the first medal in Ruffia; the legend, which was in the language of that country, is remarkable: Peter the First, the august Emperor of Muscovy.' On the reverse is Afoph, with these words: Victorious by fire and water.'

Notwithstanding this fuccefs, Peter was very much grieved, that all his fhips and gallies in the fea of Afoph fhould be built by foreigners; besides, he had as strong á defire to have a harbour upon the Baltic, as upon the Euxine fea.

Moved by theie confiderations, he, in 1697, fent threefcore young Ruffians of Le Fort's regiment into Italy, moft of them to Venice, and the reft to Leghorn, in order to learn the art of navigation and the method of constructing gallies: Forty more fet out by his direction for Holland, with

an