ARCHANGEL, a city of Russia, in the province of Dwina, situated on the east side of the river Dwina, about six miles from the White Sea, in E. Long. 40. 21. N. Lat. 64. 30. The city extends about two miles in length, is rich, populous, and built in the modern taste: it is a metropolitan see. Archangel owed its wealth and importance originally to the English, by whom it was discovered in the year 1553. Richard Chancellor, master of one of the ships fitted out under the command of Sir Hugh Willoughby, who had received a commission to go in quest of the north-east passage to China, was separated from the rest of the fleet, and obliged by stress of weather to put into the bay of St. Nicholas on the White Sea. The Czar Iwan Basilowitz, being informed of his arrival, invited him to his court, where he was hospitably entertained; and the Czar indulged the English with a free trade in his dominions: in consequence of this permission, a company of merchants was incorporated in London; and, being encouraged by particular privileges from the Czar, set on foot a considerable commerce, to the mutual advantage of both nations. Before this period, the Russian commodities were usually conveyed to Narva, in the gulph of Finland: but the channel of trade was soon turned to Archangel, and this traffic the English for some time enjoyed without competition. The Dutch, however, and other nations, gradually insinuated themselves into this commerce; which they carried on to a very great disadvantage, as not being favoured with those privileges which the Czar had granted to the English company: these were at last unhappily lost, in the time of the great rebellion. When the Czar heard that the English nation had brought their sovereign to the scaffold, he was so exasperated against them, that he forthwith deprived them of the immunities in trade which they had hitherto enjoyed in the dominions of Russia; nor could our company with all its efforts retrieve them in the sequel; so that our merchants were obliged to trade at Archangel on the
Archangel the footing of other European nations.
Archangel. The commodities chiefly imported into Archangel, were gold and silver stuffs and laces, gold wire, cochineal, indigo, and other drugs for dyeing; wine, brandy, and other distilled spirits. The customs arising to the Czar were computed at 200,000 rubles a-year, and the number of foreign ships at 400 annually: but since the ports of Petersburg and Riga were opened, great part of the trade has been removed to the Baltic, and the commerce of Archangel is greatly decayed.
The houses of Archangel are generally of wood, but well contrived; and every chamber is provided with a stove, as a fence against the cold, which is here excessive in the winter. The streets are paved with broken pieces of timber and rubbish, disposed so unskilfully, that one cannot walk over it without running the risk of falling, except when the streets are rendered smooth and equal by the snow that falls and freezes in the winter. Notwithstanding the severity of the cold in this place, there is always plenty of good provisions: butcher's meat, poultry, wild fowl, and fish, in great variety, are sold surprisingly cheap. A brace of partridges may be bought for 4 d. These birds, as well as the hares of this country, grow white in the winter; and when the weather becomes more mild, resume their natural colour.
The most remarkable edifice in Archangel is a large town-house, built of square stones in the Italian manner, and divided into three parts. One of these consists of large commodious apartments, for the accommodation of merchants, strangers as well as natives: here they are permitted to reside with their merchandise till the month of October, when all the foreign ships set sail for the respective countries to which they belong. Then the traders are obliged to remove their quarters from the town-house or palace, which hath a spacious court, that reaches down to the river.