The Don, which here has a breadth of no more than 230 to 250 yards, with a hardly perceptible current, offers an excellent roadstead. The navigation, however, is considerably impeded by the shallowness of the branches of the river, which are thirty in number at its entrance to the sea, but of which only three (Mertvyi Donetfe, Kolontcha, and the Don proper) are navigable. During the east winds, however, there is only 4 feet depth of water on the bars of the delta; and ships formerly were often compelled to stay outside for several weeks, waiting for a south-west wind. Recent dredging operations have but partially remedied this evil, and the goods have to be carried on lighters to Taganrog and Mariupol, where they are shipped. In 1882 only forty-one ships of small size coming from foreign countries under the Russian and Turkish flags entered the port, but no fewer than 3175 vessels (349,500 tons), engaged in cabotage or lighter traffic, left the roadstead. The export of corn, oil-seeds, wool, tallow, butter, iron, hides, ropes, coarse linen, pitch, &c., from 12,311,000 roubles in 1865, had risen to 41,634,252 roubles in 1882, while the imports were valued at only 886,120 roubles. The agricultural produce thus exported is drawn from the entire basin of the Don in central Russia, while ores and metals are brought from the Urals. The commercial importance of

Rostoff is further increased by its position on the great highway from Kharkolf and Voronezh to Caucasus, on which traffic has greatly increased since Rostoif became connected by rail with Kharkoff and Voronezh on the one side and A r Iadikavkaz on the other. Two fairs, one of which has considerable importance for the whole of south-eastern Russia, are yearly held here, with an estimated turnover of about 5,000,000 roubles. Rostoff has also excellent fisheries, and in summer it becomes the gathering place of many thousands of labourers on their way to assist in harvesting operations in the provinces of the Don and in northern Caucasia. The population then exceeds 100,000. The administrative position of Rostoff is quite unique. Along with a territory of 2520 square miles it belongs to the government of Ekaterinoslalf, of which it is a district town; but this territory is quite separated from the government, being enclosed by the territory of the Don Cossacks.

ROSTOFF on Lake Nero, a district town of Russia, in the government of Yaroslavl, and 35 miles by rail southwest of Yaroslavl, is probably the oldest town of northeastern Russia. Its present importance is due to its fair, which rapidly developed towards the close of last century, and still remains a market where prices of cotton wares are established preliminary to the great fair of Nijni-Nov-gorod, and where a brisk exchange in various kinds of raw materials and unmanufactured articles is carried on. The specialty of Rostoff is the production of a variety of kitchen-garden produce and apothecary’s herbs. Chicory and dried sweet peas are the principal objects of trade; in 1880 350,000 cwts., chiefly of kitchen-garden produce, were exported. Another industry formerly developed in consequence of the great influx of pilgrims—that of painting sacred pictures on a kind of enamel—still continues to flourish. The saddlery and linen manufactures, and the fishing, may likewise be mentioned. The population of Eostoff in 1883 was 12,500.

Rostoff was founded by the Slavonians in territory formerly occupied by the (Finnish) Meres, and it played so prominent a part in the history of that part of Russia that it used to be known as Rostoff the Great. From the beginning of the Ilth century to the 13th it was the chief town of the great Rostoff territory, which included large parts of the present governments of Yaroslavl, Vladimir, and Novgorod, and seems to have been a populous city. After the Mongolian invasion it rapidly declined, and in 1474 it was purchased by Ivan III. and annexed to the growing Moscow principality. It was repeatedly plundered by Tartars, Lithuanians, and Poles in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. Its cathedral, built in 1231, still stands, notwithstanding numerous conflagrations; some of the relics it contains are more than eight centuries old. Another church is of still older date, having been built in 1216. Each of its five monasteries has venerated relics of renowned Christian missionaries or Russian princes.