The sea-going commercial navy of Russia consisted in the year 1883 of 204 steamers, of 157,626 tons, and 2,139 sailing vessels, altogether of 467,740 tons. About one-fourth of the vessels were engaged in trading to foreign countries, and the remainder coasting vessels, many of them belonging to Greeks, sailing under the Russian flag. In 1882 13,032 vessels, of 5,000,000 tons, entered, and 13,839, of 4,956,000 tons, cleared, the Russian ports, more than half at the Baltic ports, and about one-third at the southern ports; 2,660 of them were British. In the coasting trade 35,083 vessels participated in 1882.

In 1882, 7,415 new vessels, valued at 6,757,695 roubles, were built in European Russia for interior navigation; 58,223 smaller vessels, and 101,084 rafts were unloaded the same year at the river ports, the value of merchandise thus transported reaching 205,000,000 As much as 77.4 per cent. of the whole were unloaded on the Volga-Neva system.

roubles.

The latest official returns state that on the 1st of January 1884 the total length of railways in Russia in Europe, inclusive of Finland, open for traffic had increased to 15,605 English miles. During the year 1,211 miles of new railway were in construction, and 225 miles of new railways, sanctioned by the Government; 546 miles of new railways were opened for traffic in 1884. Of the whole, 13,747 miles belong to private companies, 734 miles of railways in Finland (of which only 20 miles private); 144 miles of the Transcaspian railway were under the Ministry of War, and the remainder belonged to the State. (For further details see 1885, p. 422.)

A branch of the Siberian railway has been opened between Perm and Ekaterinburg, connecting the chief ironworks of the Ural; it has been continued towards Tiumen, whence steamers ply to Tomsk, and has reached Kamyshlov (100 miles from Tiumen) in 1885.

In 1880-81 a railway for military purposes was constructed from Mikhailovsk on the S.E. shore of the Caspian to Kizil Arvat, 144 miles in length; in 1885, it had reached Arch-aman, only 80 miles remaining to reach Askabad. The railway joining the Black Sea and the Caspian was completed in 1883.

On the 1st of January 1884 there were 48 railway companies existing in the empire. Of this number, 10 had constructed their lines altogether without Government assistance; while the remaining 38 were guaranteed-15 to the full amount of their capital, and the other 23 only to a partial extent. The entire sum guaranteed in 1874 by the State in the shape of interest and repayment of capital amounted to 51,177,627 roubles. During the years 1878-82 an average of

16,818,000 roubles was paid out of the exchequer to the railway companies, and an average of 29,935,000 roubles was left unpaid by the companies to the Government for the bonds held by it, making thus an average loss of 46,753,000 roubles per year. In 1884 the sum of 14,120,000 roubles was assigned for this object, against 13,500,000 in 1883. The charters granted to railway companies are for the most part terminable after between 75 and 85 years; but some small companies have charters only for 37 years.

On April 9th, 1884, a new loan of 'consolidated railway bonds,' for 15,000,000l. was contracted. Of this 3,488,3721. were destined for the Siberian railway, 1,511,6287. for that of Ekaterinburg to Tiumen, and the remainder for railways within European Russia.

The following table shows the gross receipts, the working expenses, and the net receipts of the Russian railways during each of the years from 1878 to 1882:

The averages for 1873-1882 were as follows, per English mile:Gross receipts, 1,4297.; working expenses, 9627.; net receipts, 4671. The transport of passengers gives 21 to 27 per cent. of the gross receipts.

The gross receipts in 1883 amounted to 228,559,879 roubles, and to 226,572,545 roubles in 1884.

It appears from official returns referring to January 1st, 1883, that at that date the capital of all the railway companies amounted to 2,210,047,632 paper roubles, or about 221,004,7607., that is, 15,0731. per English mile. The capital consisted of 1,599,501,269 paper roubles (159,950,1277.) in bonds and 610,546,363 roubles. (61,054,6367.) in shares. No less than 1,073,634,539 roubles, (107,363,4541.) of the railway capital belonged to the Government; and no less than 1,970,676,000 roubles, that is, 90 per cent. of all the railway capital (bonds and shares) were held by the Government, or guaranteed by it. The debt of the railway companies to the Government is on a steady increase. From 62,909,6367. in 1881, it reached 78,188,8881. on January 1, 1883.

The Post-office in the year 1883 conveyed 126,378,911 letters and post cards, 2,887,926 parcels, 9,541,209 pieces under wrappers, 93,519,765 journals, and 9,865,473 letters with money to the amount of 2,742,165,909 roubles. There were 4,663 post-offices in the empire in 1883. The total receipts of the General Post usually do not cover the expenditure. On a length of 110,170 miles the State maintains 4,355 posting stations with 46,460 horses, for postal communication and passengers. In Finland there were 188 post-offices; the number of letters and post cards conveyed in 1883 was 3,442,906; samples 489,592; journals, 5,197,528.

The length of State telegraph lines in Russia in 1883 was 65,394 English miles, and the length of wire 146,690 English miles. Of the total system, about seven-eighths was the property of the State. There were at the same date 2,957 telegraph offices. The total number of telegrams carried in 1883 was 10,222,139. The receipts of the telegraph office showed, in recent years, a small annual surplus (209,4597. in 1883) which is, by Imperial decree, partly devoted to the extension of the telegraphic system.

With reference to the navigation of the Danube, see Austria,

p. 30.

Diplomatic Representatives.

1. OF RUSSIA IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Ambassador.-Privy Councillor Georges de Staal, accredited July 1, 1884. Councillor of Embassy.-M. Bouteneff. First Secretary.-Count N. Adlerberg. Secretaries.-A. Khroupensky; A. Boulatzell.

Military Attaché.-Colonel Buturline.

Naval Attaché. -Commander W. Linden.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN RUSSIA.

Ambassador.-Sir R. B. D. Morier, K.C.B.; Secretary of Legation at Frankfort, 1865; Chargé d'Affaires, 1866; Chargé d'Affaires at Stuttgart, 1871; Munich, 1872; Envoy and Minister to Portugal, 1876-81; Spain, 1881-4. Appointed Ambassador to Russia, December, 1884.

Secretaries.-Hon. T. Grosvenor, C.B.; Hon. Hugh Gough; G. E. Welby; J. B. Whitehead.

Military Attaché.--Colonel Chenevix Trench.

Consul and Translator.-J. Michell.

Money, Weights, and Measures of Russia.

The money, weights, and measures of Russia, and the British equivalents, are as follows:

MONEY.

The silver rouble is the legal unit of money in Russia, and must contain as such 17.9961 grammes (86.8 per cent. of its weight) of

fine silver. It is equal to 3s. 2.054d. (3 francs 99.14 centimes). The golden half-imperial weighs 6·544041 grammes, and contains 5.998704 grammes of fine gold. In actual circulation there is little else but paper money (100, 25, 10, 5, 3, and 1 rouble, of nominal value), the paper rouble being discounted at 24d. to 26d.—that is, about 10 roubles to the pound sterling. The average value of the Russian paper rouble in 1884 was 243d. The marc of Finland 1 franc.

Since 1831, the English foot of 12 inches, each inch of ten parts, has been used as the ordinary standard of length measures.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Russia.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Annuaire des finances russes: budget, crédit, commerce, chemins de fer. Par A. Vessélovsky, secrétaire du comité scientifique du ministère des finances. St. Pétersbourg, 1885.

8.

Annuaire (Pamyatnaya Knijka) of the Ministry of the Navy for 1885. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Collection of Materials (Sbornik Svedeniy) for European Russia for 1882, published by the Central Statistical Committee. St. Petersburg, 1884. (Russian.)

The year 1884 with relation to Agriculture. Published by the Department of Agriculture. St. Petersburg, 1885. (Russian.)

Materials for a Statistic of the Empire of Russia. Published, under the sanction of His Majesty, by the Statistical Department of the Ministry of the Interior (Russian). 8. St. Petersburg, 1863-85.

Recueil de Données statistiques sur les Chemins de Fer en Russie. 8. St. Pétersbourg, 1884.

Statistique du commerce extérieur des années 1882-83. St. Petersburg,

1885.

F F

Tableau du commerce extérieur de la Russie de 1861 à 1878. Publié par la commission Impériale Russe de l'exposition universelle de Vienne. 8. St. Pétersbourg, 1881.

Sketch of the Exterior Trade (Obzor vnyeshney Torgorli) for 1883, published by the Ministry of Finances. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Exterior Trade on the European Frontier in 1884, published by the Ministry of Finances. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Vyestnik Finansof, periodical, for 1884 and 1885.

Statistical Reports of the Ministry of Ways and Communications, vol. L (Railways, Macadamized routes, and Interior Navigation for 1882 and 1883). St. Petersburg, 1885. (With maps.)

Reports of the Medical Department for 1882. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Statistical Information published by the Minister of Justice. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Report of the Prison Administration. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Postal Statistics for 1883. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Report of the Finances of the Zemstvos for 1871–80. St. Petersburg, 1884. The same for 1881-83. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Statistical Annuaire of St. Petersburg for 1883. 8. St. Petersburg, 1884. Short Report on Telegraph Statistics for 1883. St. Petersburg, 1884.

Report on the Returns of Municipal Finance for 1881. Published by the Ministry of Interior. 1885.

Report of the Ministry of Domains on the Administration of Forests for 1882. St. Petersburg, 1884.

Memoirs and Bulletins of the Russian Geographical Society and its branches in Caucasus and Siberia.

Statistik Arsbok för Finland, utgifven af Statistiska Centralbyrän, 1885. Helsingfors, 1885.

Report by Mr. Herbert on Russian mechanical industries, in Reports from H.M.'s Diplomatic and Consular Officers Abroad.' Folio. 1882.

Report by Mr. Herbert on Russian mineral industries, and by Mr. J. G. Kennedy on the Russian budget for 1881 and estimates for 1883, in 'Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy.' Part II. 1883. London, 1883.

Report by Mr. Kennedy on the Finances of Kussia in Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy,' Part II. 1884.

Memorandum by Mr. Kennedy on the Russian Budget for 1885, in Reports of H. M.'s Secretaries of Embassy,' Part I. London, 1885.

Report by Consul-General Stanley on the industrial classes of Southern Russia, in Part II., and on Workmen's Associations in Russia, in Part III.; by Mr. J. G. Kennedy respecting Trans-Caucasian transit trade, in Part III; by Sir E. Thornton on British and Russian trade in Bokhara, and on the Caucasian transit trade, in Part V. of Reports from H.M.'s Diplomatic and Consular Agents Abroad on Subjects of Commercial and General Interest." London, 1883.

Reports on the trade and commerce of Riga, in Part II.; of Berdiansk and Sebastopol, in Part. V.; on Taganrog, in Part VI.; Nicolaieff and Wiborg. in Part VII.; Odessa, in Part IX. of 'Reports of H.M.'s Consuls.' London, 1885. Hertslet (Sir Edward), Foreign Office Test. Published annually. London, 1886.

Trade of Russia with the United Kingdom; in Annual Statement of the trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions for the year 1884.' Imp. 4. London, 1885.