Reported 280 years ago (Feb 27 1739): Bid to keep Tartans out of Ottoman war

From the seventh surviving Belfast News Letter, February 16 1738, which is February 27 1739 in the modern calendar which is in use today:
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Feb 2019, 19:05 BST
Updated 21st Feb 2019, 20:14 BST
Belfast News Letter February 16 1738 (February 27 1739 in the modern calendar). The paper is ripped at points. This is the earliest surviving paper after the title went up from one sheet to two (from two sides of news to four)Belfast News Letter February 16 1738 (February 27 1739 in the modern calendar). The paper is ripped at points. This is the earliest surviving paper after the title went up from one sheet to two (from two sides of news to four)
Belfast News Letter February 16 1738 (February 27 1739 in the modern calendar). The paper is ripped at points. This is the earliest surviving paper after the title went up from one sheet to two (from two sides of news to four)

Yesterday arrived two British Packets, which brought one French and one Holland Mails viz.

RUSSIA.

Petersburg, January 20

WE have received Advice that the Governor of Asoph, pursuant to the Orders sent him by the Court, is actually making the great Out-Work, which the late Czar, Peter the Great, intended to have added to the Fortifications of that Place. It is pretended, that this Out-Work will render it very difficult, for the future, to besiege it by Land. Donduc-Ombo, Cham of Calmucks, tributary to Russia, has acquainted the Court that he is treating with the Tartars of the Upper Cuban, in Order to make sure of a Peace with them, by ceding a certain Territory which they pretend is their Property; the Cham hopes , at least, to prevail upon them to remain Neuters in the present War.

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[Asoph is now known as Azov, near the Crimea. The Calmucks, or Kalmyks, were based in the Russian Caucuses. Tartary was to the east of that, on the other side of the Caspian Sea. It was a vast region in the heart of Asia that encompassed what would now be Mongolia and much more.

At this time, Christian Russia was in a long war with the Muslim Ottomans. The then Empress Anna was the daughter of Tsar Ivan V, who had for a while ruled with his half brother, Peter the Great, mentioned above, who died in 1725. Peter the Great, who had ruled Russia for more than 40 years and turned it into an empire, was so influential that he founded and named the famous city mentioned above St Petersburg after the disciple Peter.

It is said Peter the Great visited the north of Ireland but it is unclear if this is so. If anyone has more information on this legend, contact [email protected] or 028 9089 7713]