a province of Russia, and the most easterly part of Europe; bounded on the north by Bulgaria and Bashkiria; on the south, by the Caspian Sea; on the west, by the Volga, which divides it from the Nogayan Tartars and Don Cossacks; and on the east, by the great ridge of mountains which part it from Great Tartary. The province extends from the 46th to the 52d degree of latitude. The summer is long, and intensely hot; the winter continues about three months so severe, that the Volga is frozen hard enough to bear loaded sledges. The soil is rich and fertile; but the Tartars who inhabit it are strangers to agriculture. On the western and southern sides of the Volga are heaths of a prodigious extent, sandy, desert, and uncultivated: these, however, produce vast quantities of transparent salt in pits, where the sun bakes and incrystates it to the thickness of an inch on the surface of... Astracan, the water. There are pits in the neighbourhood of Astracan which yield this excellent salt in such abundance, that any person may carry it off, paying at the rate of one farthing a pooth, which is equal to forty pounds. The metropolis, Astracan, is situated within the boundaries of Asia, on an island called Dolgoi, about 60 English miles above the place where the Volga disembogues itself into the Caspian sea. The city derives its name from Hadgee Tarken, a Tartar, by whom it was founded. It was conquered by Iwan Basilowitz, recovered by the Tartars in the year 1668, and retaken by the Czar, who employed for this purpose a great number of flat-bottomed vessels, in which he transported his forces down the Volga from Caflan.

The city of Astracan is about two miles and a half in circumference, surrounded by a brick-wall, which is now in a ruinous condition; but, if we comprehend the suburbs, the circuit will be near five miles. The number of inhabitants amounts to 70,000, including Armenians and Tartars, as well as a few Persians and Indians. The garrison consists of six regiments of the best Russian troops, who, when this place was alarmed from the side of Perfa, had in the adjacent plain erected a great number of small batteries, to scour the fields, and obstruct the approach of the enemy. The houses of Astracan are built of wood, and generally mean and inconvenient. The higher parts of the city command a prospect of the Volga, which is here about three miles in breadth, and exhibits a noble appearance. The marshy lands on the banks of it render the place very sickly in the summer: the earth, being impregnated with salt, is extremely fertile, and produces abundance of fruit, the immoderate use of which is attended with epidemical distempers. Sickness is likewise the consequence of those annual changes in the atmosphere produced by the floods in spring and autumn. All round the city of Astracan, at the distance of two miles, are seen a great number of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, producing all sorts of herbs and roots. The grapes are counted so delicious, that they are preserved in land, and transported to court by land-carriage at a prodigious expense: yet the wine of Astracan is very indifferent. The summer being generally dry, the inhabitants water their gardens by means of large wheels worked by wind or horses, which raise the water to the highest part of the garden, from whence it runs in trenches to refresh the roots of every single tree and plant. The neighbouring country produces hares and partridges, plenty of quails in summer, with wild and water-fowl of all sorts in abundance.

About ten miles below Astracan is a small island called Bofnaife, on which are built large storehouses for the salt, which is made about twelve miles to the eastward, and, being brought hither in boats, is conveyed up the Volga, in order to supply the country as far as Moscow and Twer. The quantity of salt annually dug for these purposes amounts to some millions of pounds, the exclusive property of which is claimed by the crown, and yields a considerable revenue; for the soldiers and bulk of the people live almost entirely on bread and salt. The neighbourhood of these salt-works is of great advantage to the fisheries, which extend from hence to the Caspian sea, and reach to the south-east as far as Yack, and even 100 miles Astracan above Zaritzen. The principal fish here caught are sturgeon and beluga. These, being salted, are put on board of vessels, and sent away in the spring, for the use of the whole empire, even as far as Petersburg; but as fish may be kept fresh as long as it is frozen, the winter is no sooner set in than they transport great quantities of it by land through all the provinces of Russia. Of the roes of the fish called beluga, which are white, transparent, and of an agreeable flavour, the fishers here prepare the caviare, which is in so much esteem all over Europe. These fisheries were first established by one Tikon Demedoff, a carrier, who settled in this place about 60 years ago, his whole wealth consisting of two horses. By dint of skill and industry, he soon grew the richest merchant in this country; but his success became so alluring to the crown, that of late years it hath engrossed some of the fisheries as well as the salt-works.

From the latter end of July to the beginning of October, the country about Astracan is frequently infested with myriads of locusts, which darken the air in their progression from the north to the southward; and, wherever they fall, consume the whole verdure of the earth. These insects can even live for some time under water: for when the wind blows across the Volga, vast numbers of them fall in clusters, and are rolled ashore; and their wings are no sooner dry, than they rise and take flight again.

Heretofore the inhabitants of Astracan traded to Khuva and Bokhara; but at present these branches are lost, and their commerce is limited to Persia and the dominions of Russia. Even the trade to Persia is much diminished by the troubles of that country; nevertheless, the commerce of Astracan is still considerable. Some years ago, the city maintained about 40 vessels, from 100 to 200 tons burden, for the Caspian traffic. Some of these belong to the government, and are commanded by a commodore, under the direction of the admiralty. This office is generally well stocked with naval stores, which are sold occasionally to the merchants. The trading ships convey provisions to the frontier towns of Terkie and Kiflar, situated on the Caspian sea; and transport merchandize to several parts of Persia. The merchants of Astracan export to Persia, chiefly on account of the Armenians, red leather, linens, woollen cloths, and other European manufactures. In return, they import the commodities of Persia, particularly those manufactured at Caflan; such as silk fashes intermixed with gold, for the use of the Poles; wrought silks and stuffs mixed with cotton; rice, cotton, rhubarb, and a small quantity of other drugs; but the chief commodity is raw silk. The government has engrossed the article of rhubarb, the greater part of which is brought into Russia by the Tartars of Yakutski, bordering on the eastern Tartars belonging to China. They travel through Siberia to Samura, thence to Caflan, and lately to Moscow. The revenue of Astracan is computed at 150,000 rubles, or 33,000 pounds, arising chiefly from salt and fish. The city is ruled by a governor, under the check of a chancery. He is nevertheless arbitrary enough, and exercises oppression with impunity. The officers of the admiralty and custom-house having very small salaries, are open to corruption, and extremely rapacious. At christening-feasts, which are attended with great intemperance, the guests drink a kind of cherry-brandy out of large goblets; and every person invited throws a present of money into the bed of the mother, who sits up with great formality to be saluted by the company.

The Indians have a Pagan temple at Astracan, in which they pay their adoration, and make offerings of fruit to a very ugly deformed idol. The priests of this pagod use incense, beads, cups, and prostrations. The Tartars, on the contrary, hold idol-worship in the utmost abomination.