[Footnote 107: List of furs sent from England to Petersburg in the following years:
Beaver-skins. Otter-skins. 1775, | 46460 | 7143 1776, | 27700 | 12086 1777, | 27316 | 10703
The finest Hudson's beavers have been sold upon an average at Petersburg from 70 to 90 roubles per 10 skins. Inferior ditto and best Canada beavers from 50 -- 75 Young or cub-beavers from 20 -- 35 Best otter-skins from 90 -- 100 Inferior ones from 60 -- 80
The qualities of these skins being very different occasion great variations in the prices.
At Kiachta, the best Hudson's Bay beaver fetches from 7 to 20 roubles per skin. Otters' ditto 6 -- 35
Black foxes skins from Canada are also sometimes sent from England to Petersburg.
At Kiachta they fetch from 1 to 100 roubles per skin.]
Cloth forms the second article of exportation which Russia exports to China.
The coarse sort is manufactured in Russia; the finer sort is foreign, chiefly English, Prussian, and French.
An arshire of foreign cloth fetches, according to its fineness, from 2 to 4 roubles. Camlets. Calimancoes. Druggets. White flannels, both Russian and foreign.
Rich stuffs. Velvets. Coarse linen, chiefly manufactured in Russia. Russia leather. Tanned hides. Glass ware and looking glasses. Hardware, namely, knives, scissars, locks, &c. Tin. Russian talk. Cattle, chiefly camels, horses, and horned cattle.
The Chinese also pay very dear for hounds, greyhounds, barbets, and dogs for hunting wild boars.
[Footnote 108: In the year 1772, the Chinese purchased meat at Kiachta, at the following prices:
A pound of beef 3-2/3 copecs. lamb 2-1/2 Horse flesh for the Tartars 1/2. Pallas Reise, P. III. p.]
Meal.--The Chinese no longer import such large quantities of meal as formerly, since they have employed the Mongols to cultivate the lands lying near the river Orchon[109], &c. &c.
[Footnote 109: S. R. G. III. p. 495-571. Pallas Reise, P. III. p. 136-144.]
[Sidenote: Imports.] List of the most valuable commodities procured from China.
The exportation of raw silk is prohibited in China under pain of death: large quantities however are smuggled every year into Kiachta, but not sufficient to answer the demands of the Russian merchants.
A pood of the best sort is estimated at 150 roubles; of the worst sort at 75