The Trade We Are
Next To Notice Was Purely Of English Origin And Growth; - We Allude To The
Trade Between England And Russia, Which Began About The Middle Of The
Sixteenth Century.
The discovery of Archangel took place, as we have
already related, in 1553.
Chanceller, who discovered it, obtained
considerable commercial privileges from the Czar for his countrymen. In
1554, a Russian Company was established; but before their charter, the
British merchants had engaged in the Russian trade. The first efforts of
the company seem to have been confined to attempts to discover a north-east
passage. Finding these unsuccessful, they turned their attention to
commerce: they fortunately possessed a very enterprising man, peculiarly
calculated to foster and strengthen an infant trade, who acted as their
agent. He first set on foot, in 1558, a new channel of trade through Russia
into Persia, for raw silk, &c. In the course of his commercial enquiries
and transactions, he sailed down the Volga to Nisi, Novogorod, Casan, and
Astracan, and thence across the Caspian Sea to Persia. He mentions that, at
Boghar, which he describes as a good city, he found merchants from India,
Persia, Russia, and Cathay, - from which last country it was a nine months
journey to Boghar. He performed his journey seven different times. It
appears, however, that this channel of trade was soon afterwards abandoned,
till 1741, when it was resumed for a very short time, during which
considerable quantities of raw silk were brought to England by the route
followed by the Russian agent in the sixteenth century.
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