T..

TACAMAHAC, a resin obtained from the Fagara octandra; and likewise, it is supposed, from the Populus balsamifera. It is imported from America in large oblong masses wrapt in flag leaves. It is of a light brown colour, very brittle, and easily melted when heated. When pure, it has an aromatic smell, between that of lavender and musk; and dissolves completely in alcohol, water having no action upon it.—(Thomson's Chemistry.)

TAGANROG, a city of European Russia, on the north coast of the Sea of Azof, near the mouth of the river Don, lat. 47° 12′ 40′′ N., lon. 38° 39′ E. Population from 7,000 to 8,000. It has a naval hospital, a lazaretto, &c.; and there are annual fairs in May, August, and November. Taganrog is a place of considerable commercial importance. It owes this distinction to its situation, which makes it the emporium of the extensive countries traversed by the Don (the ancient Tanais), one of the principal European rivers; and which, there is reason to think, will at no very distant period be connected with the Wolga, and consequently with the Caspian Sea, by the completion of the canal projected by Peter the Great. Civilisation is in a very backward state in these regions; but it is making a constant, though not a very rapid progress; and as it proceeds, Taganrog will necessarily rise in importance. The principal exports are grain, particularly wheat, of which large quantities are sometimes shipped; iron and hardware from Tula; with cordage, linen and sail-cloth, copper, tallow, leather, furs, wax, ashes, caviar, isinglass, &c. The imports are comparatively trifling, and consist principally of wine, oil, fruit, dry salteries, cotton and woollen goods, dye stuffs, tobacco, sugar, coffee, &c. By far the largest part of the trade is carried on with Constantinople, Smyrna, and other Turkish ports; but a good deal is also carried on with the different Italian ports. We subjoin an

Official Account of the principal Articles imported into and exported from Taganrog, in 1830 and 1832.

Total estimated value of imports in 1830, 2,581.153 roubles; ditto of exports, 11,011,616 roubles; so that the exports exceed the imports by the sum of 8,430,463 roubles.

The Turkish vessels are generally of but small burden.

Moneys, Weights, and Measures, same as those of PETERSBURGH; which see.

Sea of Azof. The navigation of this sea, the Palus Mæotis of antiquity, is impeded by numerous shoals, and can neither be entered nor safely navigated by vessels drawing more than 11 or 12 feet water. Its greatest depth in the middle is about 7 fathoms; but it shoals gradually to the sides, and at Taganrog there is only from 9 to 10 feet water. Its depth is, however, materially affected by the direction and strength of the winds. The only entrance to this sea is by the Straits of Yenikalé, the Bosphorus Cimmerius of the ancients, a narrow and difficult passage, having in some places not more than 13 feet water. Owing to the great quantity of fresh water poured into the Sea of Azof, and its limited magnitude, its water is brackish merely. It is unnavigable from November to April, during the greater part of which time it is generally frozen over.-(Norie's Sailing Directions for the Mediterranean and Black Seas; Annuaire du Commerce Maritime for 1833, p. 161. &c.) We avail ourselves of this opportunity to lay before our readers the following details with respect to the

TRADE, ETC. OF THE CASPIAN SEA.

Quantity and Value of the Articles imported from Foreign Ports into the Russian Ports of the Cas

pian, in 1831.

Account of the Quantity and Value of the Articles exported from Russian Ports on the Caspian, to

Shipping.-Arrivals at, and Departures from, the Russian Ports of the Caspian, in 1831.

Departed.

Total

N. B.-Of the vessels here described, only 1 Persian arrived, and 1 ditto departed, of burden unknown.

Magnitude of the Caspian Sea. Ports, &c.—The Caspian Sea, or rather lake (the Mare Hyrcanum of the ancients), extends lengthwise from N. to S. about 740 miles, varying in breadth from 112 to 275 miles. In some parts, particularly on the southern shores, it is so very deep that a line of 450 fathoms will not reach the bottom; whereas, in the northern parts, and opposite to the mouths of the Wolga, it is comparatively shallow; and owing to the frequent occurrence of shoals, it is not safely navigated by vessels drawing more than 10 or 12 feet water. Its level had been variously estimated by Olivier and Lowitz, at from 64 to 53 feet below that of the Black Sea; but according to the recent observations of M. Humboldt, the difference of level between them is no less than 300 feet! We confess, however, that we are not without our doubts as to the perfect accuracy of this statement; and would not have been inclined to attach much weight to it had it proceeded from any inferior authority. The water of the Caspian is not salt, but brackish merely; it has no tides, but gales of wind raise a very heavy sea. It is extremely prolific of fish and seals. The value of the sturgeon caught in the Russian fisheries amounts to a very large sum. (See STURGEON FISHERY.) They proceed in shoals up the rivers, where they are captured without the least apparent diminution of their numbers. The salmon is remarkably fine; and herrings are in such abundance, that, after a storm, the shores of the Persian provinces of Ghilan and Mazunderan are nearly covered with them.-(Kinnier's Memoir of the Persian Empire, p. 6.; Memoir on the Caspian Sea, in Malte-Brun's Geography; Humboldt, Fragmens de Géologie, &c.)

Astrakhan is situated on an island of the Wolga, more than 50 miles from the mouth of that river; and owing to the extensive command of internal navigation it possesses, it is a place of very considerable commercial importance. Baku, acquired by the Russians in 1801, is, however, the best port on the western side of the Caspian. It is situated on the southern shore of a peninsula that projects far into the sea, in lat. 40° 22′ N., lon. 51° 10' E. The harbour is spacious and convenient; and its central and advanced position gives it superior advantages as a trading station. Prodigious quantities of naphtha are procured in the vicinity of Baku. It is drawn from wells, some of which yield from 1,000 to 1,500 lbs. a day It is used as a substitute for lamp oil; and when ignited emits a clear light, with much smoke

and a disagreeable smell. Large quantities are exported in skins to the Persian and Tartar ports on the south and east shores of the sea.

Vessels. The largest class of vessels by which the Caspian Sea is navigated are called by the Russians schuyts, and belong wholly to Astrakhan and Baku; their burden varies from 90 to 150, and, in some instances, 200 tons. They are not built on any scientific principle, and are constructed of the worst materials, that is, of the timber of the barks that bring grain down the Wolga to Astrakhan. There are supposed to be, in all, about 100 sail of these vessels. There is a second class of vessels employed in the trade of the Caspian, called razchives. They carry from 70 to 140 tons, and sail better than the schuyts. Their number is estimated at about 50. Exclusive of the above, there are great numbers of small craft employed in the coasting trade, in the rivers, in the fisheries, and in acting as lighters to the schuyts. Steam boats have been introduced upon the Wolga; and one has been launched on the Caspian itself. The masters and crews of the vessels employed on this sea are, for the most part, as ignorant as can well be imagined. They are generally quite incapable of making an observation, or of keeping a reckoning; so that accidents frequently occur, that might be avoided by the most ordinary acquaintance with the principles of navigation.— (These statements are made, partly upon official, and partly upon private authority; the latter may, however, be safely relied on.)

The trade of this great sea is entirely in the hands of the Russians; by whom it is carried on from the ports of Astrakhan and Baku, with the Persian ports of Astrabad, Balfroosh, &c. on the south; and with the Tartar ports of Mangishlak, Balkan, &c. on the east. It is very insignificant, compared with what it ought to be. On the whole, however, a gradual improvement is taking place; and whatever objections may, on other grounds, be made to the encroachments of Russia in this quarter, there can be no manner of doubt that, by introducing comparative security and good order into the countries under her authority, she has materially improved their condition, and accelerated their progress to a more advanced state. Account of the Value of the Foreign Trade of the Port of Baku, on the Caspian Sea, during the Eight Years ending with 1831.

386,527 536,016

276,320 442,382
783,742 1,047,173

Totil value of exports. Rou. 1,223,253 646,317 229,739 1,248,259 TALC, a species of fossil nearly allied to mica. It is soft, smooth, greasy to the feel, and may be split into fine plates or leaves, which are flexible, but not elastic. It has a greenish, whitish, or silver-like lustre. The leaves are transparent, and are used in many parts of India and China, as they were used in ancient Rome (Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. xxxvi. c. 22.)— in windows instead of glass. In Bengal, a seer of talc costs about 2 rupees, and will sometimes yield a dozen panes 12 inches by 9, or 10 by 10, according to the form of the mass, transparent enough to allow ordinary subjects to be seen at 20 or 30 yards' distance. It should be chosen of a beautiful pearl colour; but it has, in general, either a yellowish or faint blue tinge. Its pure translucent flakes are frequently used by the Indians, for ornamenting the baubles employed in their ceremonies. Talc is employed in the composition of rouge végétal. The Romans prepared with it a beautiful blue, by combining it with the colouring fluid of particular kinds of testaceous animals. Talc is met with in Aberdeenshire, Perthshire, and Banffshire in Scotland; and in various parts of the Continent, where rocks of serpentine and porphyry occur. The talc brought from the Tyrolese mountains is called in commerce Venetian talc. Several varieties are found in India and Ceylon.— (Thomson's Chemistry; Rees's Cyclopædia; Milburn's Orient. Com.; Ainslie's Mat. Indica.)

TALLOW (Fr. Suif; Ger. Talg; It. Sevo, Sego; Rus. Salo, toplenoe; Sp. Sebo), animal fat melted and separated from the fibrous matter mixed with it. Its quality depends partly on the animal from which it has been prepared; but more, perhaps, on the care taken in its purification. It is firm, brittle, and has a peculiar heavy odour. When pure, it is white, tasteless, and nearly insipid; but the tallow of commerce has usually a yellowish tinge; and is divided, according to the degree of its purity and consistence, into candle and Soap tallow.

Tallow is an article of great importance. It is manufactured into candles and soap; and

is extensively used in the dressing of leather, and in various processes of the arts. Besides our extensive supplies of native tallow, we annually import a very large quantity, principally from Russia. The exports of tallow from Petersburgh amount, at an average, to between 3,500,000 and 4,000,000 poods, of which the largest portion by far is brought to England; the remainder being exported to Prussia, France, the Hanse Towns, Turkey, &c.

We borrow from the work of Mr. Borrisow, on the Commerce of Petersburgh, the following details with respect to the tallow trade of that city :

Tallow is divided into different sorts; namely, white and yellow candle tallow, and common and Siberian soap tallow; although it is allowed that the same sort often differs in quality.

Tallow is brought to Petersburgh from the interior; and the best soap tallow from Siberia, by various rivers, to the lake Ladoga; and thence, by the canal of Schlusselburg, to the Neva.

An ambare, or warehouse, is appropriated to the reception of tallow, where, on its arrival, it is selected and assorted (bracked). The casks are then marked with three circular stamps, which state the quality of the tallow, the period of selecting, and the name of the selector (bracker).

The casks in which white tallow is brought have a singular appearance; their form being conical, and their diameter at one end about 2 feet, and at the other only 14 foot: the casks of yellow tallow are of the common shape. There are also others, denominated casks.

To calculate the tare, the tallow is removed from a certain number of casks, which are weighed, and an average tare is thence deduced for the whole lot. A cask weighs 8, 9, 10, or 11 per cent., but the average is generally about 10 per cent. of the entire weight of tallow and cask.

Yellow candle tallow, when good, should be clean, dry, hard when broken, and of a fine yellow colour throughout. The white candle tallow, when good, is white, brittle, hard, dry, and clean. The best white tallow is brought from Woronesch. As for soap tallow, the more greasy and yellow it is, the better the quality. That from Siberia is the purest, and commonly fetches a higher price than the

other sorts.

Formerly the oil and tallow warehouses were the same; and this occasioned great difficulties in shipping, because all vessels or lighters taking in tallow or oil were obliged to haul down to the ambare, and wait in rotation for their cargoes. The consequence was, that when much business was doing, a vessel was often detained for several weeks at the ambare before she could get her cargo on board. Now the tallow and oil warehouses are separated, and every article has its own place. When a shipment of tallow is made, the agent is furnished by the selector (bracker) with a sample from each

cask.

Captains, in order to obtain more freight, usually load some casks of tallow upon deck; but it is more for the interest of the owner to avoid this if possible, because the tallow loses, through the heat of the sun, considerably both in weight and quality.

One hundred and twenty poods of tallow, gross weight, make a Petersburgh last, and 63 poods an English ton.

Of 1,177,908 cwt. of tallow imported in 1829, 1,164,180 came from Russia, 6,143 from the United States, 3,799 from Turkey, 1,992 from France, and 1,626 from Sweden.

We subjoin an official account of the export of tallow from Russia in 1832.

Exports of Tallow from Russia in 1832.

The exports of tallow from Petersburgh, in 1833, amounted to above 4,100,000 poods (see antè, p. 292.), being the largest quantity ever shipped in 1 year. The shipments to Great Britain were about 3,600,000 poods. Supposing the tallow to have been worth, when delivered to the shipper, 351. a ton, its total value will have been 2,306,1501.! This statement shows the great importance of this trade. The price of tallow fluctuated very much during the war. This was occasioned, principally, by the obstacles that were at different periods thrown in the way of supplies from Russia. The price of tallow is also affected by the state of the seasons. Some very extensive speculations have at various periods been attempted in tallow; but seldom, it is believed, with much advantage to the parties. Account of the Price of Tallow in the London Market, in the Month of January each Year, from 1813.

The following is a statement of the prices per cwt. of foreign and British tallow in the London market on the 21th of March, 1634:

The ships, receive, at Elsineur, orders for their ultimate destination, and most of them are for

Great Britain.

TALLY TRADE, the name given to a system of dealing carried on in London and other large towns, by which shopkeepers furnish certain articles on credit to their customers, the latter agreeing to pay the stipulated price by certain weekly or monthly instalments.

In the metropolis there are about 60 or 70 tally-shops of note; and from 500 to 600 on a smaller scale. They are also spread over the country to a considerable extent, particularly in the manufacturing districts. The customers of the tally-shops are mostly women; consisting, principally, of the wives of labourers, mechanics, porters, &c., servant girls, and females of loose character. Few only of the more respectable classes have been infatuated enough to resort to them. Drapery goods, wearing apparel, coals, household furniture, hardware, &c. are furnished; and even funerals are performed; but few or no articles of food, except tea, are sold upon the tally plan.

We believe that this is the very worst mode in which credit is afforded. The facility which it gives of obtaining an article when wanted, and the notion so apt to be entertained that the weekly or monthly instalments may be paid without difficulty, makes those who resort to the tally-shops overlook the exorbitant price, and usual bad quality, of the articles they obtain from them; and generate habits of improvidence that seldom fail to involve the parties in irretrievable ruin. It is not going too far to say that nine tenths of the articles supplied by tally-shops might be dispensed with. As already observed, women are the principal customers; and it is not easy to exaggerate the mischief that has been entailed on the families of many industrious labourers by their wives having got entangled with tally-shops. They buy goods without the knowledge of their husbands; and these are not unfrequently pawned, and the proceeds spent in gin. So destructive, indeed, is the operation of the system, that the establishment of a tally-shop in any district is almost certain to occasion an increase in the paupers belonging to it. Even the unmarried females who do not pay are demoralised and ruined by the system; because, if a woman who buys three gowns, pays for the 2 first, and runs away from the payment of the last, she gains nothing in point of saving, while she becomes indifferent to an act of dishonesty. As tally debts can only be collected whilst a supply of goods is kept up, as soon as that supply is stopped, the debtor either flies to another district, or awaits a summons. Where the wife has contracted the debt, she usually appears before the commissioners, who in general order the debt to be paid by weekly or monthly instalments. But it often occurs, from the wife not being able to keep up such payments, that execution issues, and the poor husband is frequently arrested and lodged in prison for a debt, of the existence of which he was entirely ignorant. In this way, numbers of the working classes are completely ruined; they lose their employment, and themselves and families are reduced to beggary. The intelligent keeper of Whitecross-street prison (Mr. Barrett) states, that from 150 to 200 persons are annually imprisoned there for tallyshop debts, in sums from 10s. to 57., and that in one year 30 prisoners were at the suit of one tally-shop alone! Such imprisonments, however, are now much decreased, in consequence, as is believed, of the Court of Requests discouraging the tally system, by ordering claims of this kind to be paid by extremely small instalments, and these at very distant intervals; and also in consequence of no composition being allowed by the charities for the relief of poor prisoners with reference to such debts.

It is estimated that in London alone about 850,000l., or nearly 1,000,000l. sterling is annually returned in this trade. From his large profits (generally from 25 to 40 per cent.), it is obvious that in a few transactions the tally-shop keeper becomes independent of the existing debt; and with capital and good management, it is said that some have realised considerable sums of money in this business.

According to the custom of the trade, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, are the days set apart for collecting money from the customers. The tally-man sends round his collector through the different "walks," and the amount of a collection, which keeps the collector engaged from morning till night, even in a good tally concern, seldom exceeds 47. a day. The payments are invariably made in shillings and sixpences—but the people seldom or never pay at the tally-shops; they rarely call there unless something else is wanted. The tally-shop keeper trusts one party on the recommendation of another; but guarantees are never required-certainly no written guarantees; and a verbal guarantee is, according to Lord Tenterden's act, not binding. It is part of the collector's business, besides getting money, to beat up for fresh customers in his walk.

The greater number of the small tally concerns are kept by Scotchmen; it is a curious fact, that when a "Tally-walk" is to be sold, which is often the case, a Scotchman's walk will bring 15 per cent. more than an Englishman's! It is believed to contain a better description of customers.

From the causes above mentioned, assisted, perhaps, by the salutary influence of Savings' Banks, this obnoxious trade is understood to be rather on the wane. It will never, however, be completely rooted out, except by adopting the plan we have previously suggested-(see CREDIT,)-for placing all small debts beyond the pale of the law; and the fact, that the adoption of this plan would have so beneficial a result, is an additional and powerful recommendation in its favour. In cases where failures take place, the creditors of a tally shop