This
Company Was Established In Opposition To The Hanseatic Merchants; And It
Seems To Have Attained Its Object; For These
Merchants complained to the
Diet of the Empire against England, alleging, that of the 200,000 cloths
yearly exported thence,
Three-fourths went into Denmark, Sweden, Poland,
and Germany; the other fourth being sent to the Netherlands and France.
It was not to be supposed that our commerce with Archangel and Narva would
long remain without a rival. The Dutch, aware of its importance, prevented
by their influence or presents, the Czar from renewing the Russian
Company's privileges. As this trade was become more extensive, and carried
off, besides woollen goods, silks, velvets, coarse linen cloth, old silver
plate, all kinds of mercery wares, serving for the apparel of both sexes,
purses, knives, &c. Elizabeth used her efforts to re-establish the company
on its former footing; and a new Czar mounting the throne, she was
successful.
The frequent voyages of the English to the White Sea made them acquainted
with Cherry Island, of which they took possession, and where they carried
on for a short time the capture of morses: the teeth of these were regarded
as nearly equal in quality and value to ivory, and consequently afforded a
lucrative trade; oil was also obtained from these animals. Lead ore is said
to have been discovered in this island, of which thirty tons were brought
to England in 1606. The Russian Company, however, soon gave up the morse
fishery for that of whales.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 616 of 1007
Words from 168298 to 168551
of 273188
