Page:Ancient and modern history of the Russian Empire.pdf/2

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HE Empire of Russia is the largest in the whole globe, extending from west to east upwards of two thousand common leagues; and about eight hundred in its greatest breadth, from north to south. It borders upon Poland and the Frozen Sea and joins to Sweden on the west and China on the east. Its length, from the island of Dago in the westermost part of Livonia, to its most eastern limits, takes in near 170 degrees; so that when it is noon in the western parts of the empire, it is nearly mid-night in the eastern. Its breadth, from north to south, is 3600 wrests, which make 850 French leagues.

The limits of this country were but little known at the end of the 17 century, for in 1689, when the Chinese and Russians were at war, in order to terminate their differences, the Emperor Cam-bi on the one hand, and the Czars, John and Peter on the other, had sent their ministers to meet an embassy within three hundred leagues of Pekin, on the borders of the two empires, this accout was then treated as a fiction.