The Historian Of The Hanseatic League
Adds, That "Whereas The Ancient Toll Of The Sound Had Been Only A Golden
Rose-noble on every sail, which was always understood to be meant on every
ship; the court of Denmark had
For some time past put a new and arbitrary
construction on the word sail, by obliging all ships to pay a rose-noble
for every sail on, or belonging to each ship". In consequence of this, the
Vandalic-Hanse Towns, or those on the south shores of the Baltic, deserted
the Bergen trade.
The same sovereign, however, who increased the tolls of the Sound,
counterpoised the bad effects of this measure, by the encouragement he gave
to manufactures and commerce; in this he was seconded by the Danish gentry,
who began to carry on merchandize and factorage themselves, and also
established manufactories. Copenhagen at this time was the staple for all
Danish merchandize, especially corn, butter, fish, &c.
The commercial history of this country, towards the close of the sixteenth
century, is remarkable for having given rise to the earliest dispute, of
which we have any notice, respecting, the carrying of naval stores, of
contraband of war, in neutral bottoms, to any enemy. It seems that the
English merchants endeavoured to evade the custom duties in the Danish
ports, particularly on their skins, woollen goods, and tin; on which they
were siezed. On a remonstrance however from Elizabeth, they were restored,
when the king of Denmark, on his part, complained that the English
committed piracies on his subjects; for now, says Camden, there began to
grow controversies about such matters, that is, the carrying naval stores,
&c. to the Spaniards.
The commercial history of Denmark, during the period to which we are at
present confined, presents no other circumstance sufficiently striking or
interesting to detain us; for the establishments of this country in the
East Indies are too trifling to deserve or require notice in a work whose
limits and objects equally confine it to those points which are of primary
importance.
The locality of Russia, cut off from the sea till a comparatively late
period, except the almost inaccessible sea on which Archangel stands; the
ignorance and barbarism of its inhabitants, and its wars with the Tartars,
necessarily prevented and incapacitated this immense empire from engaging
in any commercial intercourse with the rest of Europe till the beginning of
the sixteenth century, when it became independent, and began to be
powerful. Novogorod, indeed, which was in fact a republic under the
jurisdiction of a nominal sovereign, enjoyed in the fifteenth century, a
great trade, being then the mart between Russia and the Hanseatic cities.
On its conquest by the Russians in the beginning of the next century, the
Hanseatic merchants deserted it, though it continued for a considerable
period afterward the largest and most commercial city in Russia. In 1509,
Basilicus IV. conquered the city and territory of Pleskow and Smolensko,
and consolidated the Russian empire, by reducing all the petty
principalities into which it had been previously divided. Pleskow, situated
near the head of the lake Czudskoc, soon became a celebrated emporium, and
before the end of this century was frequented by merchants from Persia,
Tartary, Sarmatia, Livonia, Germany, Britain, and other countries.
The accidental discovery of the White Sea by the English, in 1553, has been
already narrated: this led to the first intercourse by sea between Russia
and the rest of Europe, for previously, whatever of their produce was
exported, was carried in Livonian ships. In the following year, the
facilities of Russia with Asia were encreased by the conquest of the city
and kingdom of Astracan: by this conquest the entire navigation of the
Wolga became theirs, and by crossing the Caspian, they carried their
commercial transactions into Persia. The spirit of conquest was now alive
among them, and exerting itself both to the east and west; for in 1558 they
conquered Narva, in Livonia, and by means of it formed a communication with
the rest of Europe by the Baltic sea. To this city the Hanseatic merchants
removed their mart from Revel. The conquest of Samoieda and Siberia near
the close of the sixteenth century, contributed to encrease the exportable
commodities of Russia by their furs, salmon, sturgeon, &c.
In the mean time the Russian commerce in the Caspian was increasing: the
Persian vessels brought into Astracan dyed silks, calicoes, and Persian
stuffs, and returned with cloth, sables, martens, red leather, and old
Russia money. The trade from Archangel also increased in a still more rapid
manner, principally, as we have already seen, with the English and Dutch.
In the year 1655, the exports were valued at the 660,000 rubles, two rubles
at that period being equal to one pound sterling. The principal articles
were potash, caviare, tallow, hides, sables, and cable yarn; the other
articles of less importance, and in smaller quantities, were coarse linen,
feathers for beds, tar, linen yarn, beet, rhubarb, Persian silk, cork,
bacon, cordage, skins of squirrels, and cats; bees' wax, hogs' birstles,
mice and goats' skins, swan and geese down, candles, &c.
Peter the Great became emperor in 1689; he soon unfolded and began to
execute his vast plans of conquest, naval power, and commerce. He gained
for his country a passage into the Black Sea, by reducing Asoph, at the
mouth of the Don, and he soon established a navy on this sea. His personal
exertions in Holland and England, to make himself acquainted with
ship-building, are well known. The event of his reign, however, which most
completely changed the relative situation of Russia, and established her as
a commercial nation, was the conquest from Sweden of Livonia, Ingria, and
Carelia. Scarcely were these provinces secured to him, when he built, first
Cronstadt, and then St. Petersburgh. The erection of this city, and the
canals he constructed in the interior for the purpose of facilitating the
transportation of merchandize from the more southerly and fertile districts
of his empire to the new capital, soon drew to it the greater portion of
Russian commerce.
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