The Kaleidoscope; or, Literary and Scientific Mirror/Series 2/Volume 4/Number 197/The Political Economist
The Political Economist.
LETTERS FROM A LANCASHIRE MAN, NOW IN RUSSIA.
TO THE EDITOR.
As the exportation of machinery, and the emigration of artisans are likely soon to become subjects of general discussion as well as of parliamentary inquiry, the following extracts may prove acceptable. They are the chief substance of two letters from a machine maker, who was hired in 1821 by some Russian agents, prowling about in the neighbourhood of Manchester. The letters were addressed to a worthy friend of mine, who has kindly allowed me to make the best use I can of them; I am, therefore, happy to communicate to you their most interesting passages. AMICUS.
Dear Sir,—After leaving you I went to Hull, where I remained eleven days waiting a vessel. I had much less difficulty than I expected in passing the custom-house. The custom-house officer did not inquire into the nature of my business, but merely asked what number of packages I had; however, I had to tell the Russian Consul the object of my journey, as it was necessary to state every particular in my passport; but this I did not need to show until my arrival in Russia. I sailed on the 13th of September; we reached Elsineur that day week. I went on shore, and saw the town and castle; also the palace of Maringus, where Hamlet is said to have been murdered; and the spot in the King’s garden where they say he was buried. The town is small, and has but a mean appearance. Tea, silk, and gin are very cheap there, the last about 1s. 2d. per bottle. Leaving this place, next morning we passed Copenhagen, and were so near as to have a pretty good view of the town. We arrived at Cronstadt on the 28th, after a pleasant voyage of fifteen days. For two or three days at first we had a pretty smart gale, and I was a little sick, but soon recovered, and for the rest of the time enjoyed good health. Having renewed my passport, I proceeded to the place of my destination, where I arrived on the 29th, and found my acquaintance there before me. The work is a Government concern; both flax and cotton are manufactured there, and the machinery is worked by four engines, viz. an 8, a 24, a 60, and a 70. The works are close on the side of the Neva, a large and beautiful river, but which, from the levelness of the country, cannot be applied to the driving of machinery at this place. The Neva comes from the Ladoge Lake (said to be the largest in Europe;) runs through Petersburgh, and empties itself into the Gulf of Finland. On an island in the middle of the river stands a great part of the above-named city, which is very large, and is said to occupy nearly as much ground as London, although it comes far short of it in population. It has a very striking appearance at first, as the houses are mostly white or of an ochre colour, being built of brick, and plastered over to represent stone. They are designed in a magnificent style; but their grand columns and ornaments very soon go to decay: indeed almost all the buildings possess merely the appearance of grandeur. They have no freestone, but only limestone and granite, and these have to be brought from a great distance. The streets are uncommonly broad, and many of them have a walk in the middle, shaded with trees. The streets require to be very spacious, on account of the great number of vehicles that are continually driving about. In winter, the sledges are so numerous, and run with so much velocity, that one would think it impossible for them to pass each other with safety. This mode of conveyance is very cheap: I have sometimes driven from the chapel, after 9 P. M. for a ruble and eight copecks, or two rubles (about 712d.) the distance being about twelve versts, or from eight to nine English miles. Our place of meeting belongs to the Moravians; they occupy it first, which makes the hour of our service inconveniently late for those who have to go to any distance; it is generally after eleven when I get home. The Bible Society goes on well, but the Russians require spurring. None of their great men take any interest in the management of it, and few of those who are concerned in it are remarkable for zeal. Dr. Paterson, from Glasgow, is the principal of them, and is well qualified. It requires great firmness and perseverance, and must ultimately prove a death blow to the present system.—The Russian churches are very grand, but the people grossly ignorant. They seem very devout when attending their church-service, which consists chiefly in singing and chaunting. The Pāpa begins, and all the congregation join at certain times. They are all engaged in bowing and crossing themselves, and they fall down to the ground on their knees, and make their heads touch it frequently. They have no seats in their churches, and have them always lighted up with candles, during service. There are said to be 27,000 churches in Russia, of which 2000 only have full copies of the Bible.
Manufacturing is not far advanced in this country yet—indeed it never will, so long as the present system continues: there is nothing but the laborious exertions of a free people that can do it. There are some print works going on, but they seem to be a ruinous concern. One John Blair, a printer, has been at this Fabrick about three years, but has done nothing yet but dyeing, and I believe it is not intended to try printing. He says there is not a printing cylinder going in Russia.
No person should come here without having a sure engagement, and his salary guaranteed by some respectable house, either in England or Petersburgh; for whoever goes up the country is out of the reach of all justice; and when once the Russians have got out of a man all they expect to get, they fall upon some method to break the engagement,—and then there is no such thing as getting redress,—nothing is to be done in the way of seeking justice without bribery. However, I have no reason to complain as yet, but expect to get as good as my bargain, £150 per annum, with an allowance for house-rent and fire.
P.S. The winter here has been quite unprecedented; it has never been known so open before. The weather now is very hot: it goes to the extremes both of heat and cold.
Alexandroffsk Fabrick, April 24, 1822.
Dear Friend,—Your kind letter of the 15th of April I received on the 15th of May- It gave me much pleasure to hear of your welfare, and that of my other acquaintances. It was the saying of a wise man, that good news from a far country is like cold water to a thirsty soul; and I can assure you your letter was so to me.
We have had a fine summer, but the weather has sometimes been very hot: the thermometer was often at 90, and sometimes at 100, in the shade, that is, on Fahrenheit’s scale. When it is so hot, we rest two hours at noon. As the summer was hot, so the preceding winter was equally cold. We had from 28 to 30 of frost on Reaumur’s scale (equal to 65 @ 67 Fahrenheit) below the freezing point. The best notion I can give you of its effects is, that, at 25° or 30°, when one takes a full breath, if there is a little moisture between the lips, they feel as if there were a number of small fibres in the mouth; and at 10°, 15, or 20°, the eye-lashes seem inclined to stick together, and the nostrils to get a thin web over them; but, upon the whole, from the way in which we are provided against it, we suffer less from cold here than we did at home.
Warm clothing is very dear here. I got a great coat lined with fur last winter, and although I went about it in the most economical way possible, it cost me about £12. The skin for covering only the neck of a handsome coat costs 100 or 120 rubles (£4 or £5) and sometimes £20; nay, some are so extravagant as to give 1000 for a shub, which is a large loose coat, lined with fur.[1] They are warmer than a great coat, and much better for riding in. Capes are generally worn in winter. These have a flap to cover the ears: the neck of the coat is also made to stand up about the ears, and, when required, comes over the face, so that there is no part left uncovered but the nose, which, when long exposed to the air, grows so numb as to be quite insensible, and becomes white. It is necessary to rub it in order to restore circulation, for which purpose snow is mostly preferred.
I have gone thus far without mentioning my future prospects: indeed I can hardly give you any satisfactory account yet. I have been making some rather complicated machines, and wished, before I asked for a settlement, to have them tried. I have set one a-going, and have got orders for a greater number, more than I shall be able to finish in another year. I have some boys in my employment, who come on pretty well. Although they are not at all deficient in intellect, they are exceedingly indolent, and when desired to do a thing, they will slight it, if possible, so that one can have no dependence on them.
It would seem very strange in Britain to see men punished as they are here. When they get drunk upon a holyday (that is, if they are in the habit of it) they are taken away next morning to their guard-house to be flogged, the number of strokes being proportioned to the crime. No one is allowed to lift a hand against them in the works: if they are in fault, all we have to do is to inform, and they are punished by the person appointed for that purpose. From the state of subordination they are in, they never think of thinking for themselves. The idea, however, of absolute want never stares them in the face; what is absolutely necessary for life they can get very cheap here. Black bread, which is their principal staff of life, can be had for six copecks the pound, and it is quite common for them to take two meals of this a-day. They take only a little salt and a drink of water to it; and those that live thus are healthy fellows, with broad shoulders.
In their religious sentiments they are predestinarians:—this they carry to a ridiculous length, even so far as to make God the author of their sins—every thing that befals them is God’s will, although brought on them by their own wickedness; if they get drunk, lie down, and are frozen to death, as many of them are, they say it is God’s will. This abuse of doctrine prepares them for passive obedience, so that however severely they may be used by their barons, they attribute all to God, whose name is continually profaned amongst them, every assertion they make being confirmed by “Ebouch,” that is, by G—.
They are exceedingly dishonest; it is almost impossible to get an article from them that is not adulterated; but although this is the national character, there are many good people among them.
14th August, 1823.
- ↑ Beaver.—“In 1763 the Hudson’s Bay Company sold 54,670 skins in one sale. They vary in colour, the most valuable are black, but the most general colour is a chestnut, more or less dark; some have been found entirely white, others spotted, but both these kinds are very rare.”Sable.—“The darkest furs are the most valuable; a single skin, though not above four inches broad, is sometimes valued as high as £15!!!”—Bewick’s Quadrupeds.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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