extended the sway of Russia over the
whole territory.
At the close of the last century, and contemporaneously with the
foundation of Odessa (1794), the bountiful nature of the soil of
this region became known, and the country was overrun by colonists
from "Great" or "Northern Russia," from Germany, and from Bulgaria
and Wallachia; and its rich harvests were soon sufficient, not
only to satisfy, but to exceed the wants of the whole Empire.
Odessa, endowed by its founder, Catherine II., with the privilege
of a free port, which it enjoyed till after the war of the Crimea,
monopolized during that time the export of the produce of this
southern land, consisting chiefly of grain and wool; and its prosperity
went on, always on the increase--affected only temporarily by wars
and bad harvests--to such an extent that the total value of the
exports, which was, in round numbers, about 52,000,000 roubles in
1871, rose to 86,000,000 roubles in 1878, to 88,000,000 roubles
in 1879, and fell, owing to the bad harvest, to 56,000,000 roubles
in 1880.
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