75 s^-^ CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library DK 509.S46 Russia on the Black Sea and Sea o^^^ 3 1924 028 575 102 .rabad, at the sonfli-east corner of the Caspian Sea-, which tli(>y lia,vc> sinct- fortified ivnd garrisoned, and when tlicy (\\])l()red with steamers the Gourga,n and Atrak, XIV INTRODDCITION. rivers flowing exclusively through the Persian territory, but leading in the direction of the best road to India, there was one Turcoman Chief resolutely hostile to them, whom they could neither frighten nor seduce. One night, therefore, troops were disembarked, his house was surrounded, and he and all his sons were carried off and conveyed into the interior of Eussia, whence, at the prayer of a very influential personage, his place of exile was changed to Tiflis, where I knew him. The second is a more daring violation of the territory of the same power, with whom, be it remembered, we have a treaty of alliance, and at the court of which we have long had a minister constantly residing. A certain member of the Georgian royal family, Suleiman Khan," lived in the Persian provinces ceded to Russia in 1828, and having an inveterate enmity to that power, he refused to remain there when they became Russian, and fled into a remote part of Persia. After many years he thought he might venture to come and live at Tabreez, the capital of Azerbijan, and near his own country. He had sounded the Russian consulate, and found them apparently favourable, and when he arrived he was invited to dinner by the Russian Consul-General. Everythino- passed off very agreeably until after dinner, when, as he was sitting on a sofa with the Consul, drinking his coflee, the latter begged to be excused for an instant, and left the room. Immediately upon his quitting, a file of Russians appeared at the door, with their pieces levelled at the Khan, and the Consul, from behind them, told him he " He wax a Mussulman, but all the rest nf his iamily are Christians. INTKODUCTION. xv was extremely sorry that he was obUged to treat a guest in so uncourteous a manner, but that he must execute his orders, that Suleiman Khan must consider himself a prisoner, and prepare instantly to be conveyed into the interior of Eussia. This fact was told me by the English Consul at Tabreez, when I arrived at that city some short time after this event had occurred, and I diaed with the Russian Consul in question, now holding a high post in Russian diplo- macy, in the very room where it happened. Of com'se, when proceedings of this sort were overlooked by our Grovernment, there is no wonder that Russia grew emboldened, and believed that no European power dared to interfere with her. We have begun at last, after thousands of lives and millions of treasure have been expended in attacking the only strong position of Russia in the Black Sea, to attack some of the long Hne of vulnerable points which she presents. Our successes at Kertch, Berdiansk, Ma- riopol, Taganrok, and Soujuk Caleb have been as easy as they have been important, and we have now only to continue the same course of action. I can state, on the authority of persons intimately acquainted with those countries, in answer to what Mr. Cobden said in the House of Commons, that the blow we struck in the Sea of Azof has been the severest which we have dealt to Russian power — that all the stores we destroyed at Kertch belonged to the Government, and not to private individuals, and that the same was the case with every bag of flour and oats destroyed at Ber- xvi INTRODUCTION. diansk, Mariopol, and Taganrok. The Russian Govern- ment, as is well known, has always supplied Sevastopol and their other fortresses on the coast of the Black Sea with stores and ammunition from the interior of the country by means of the Sea of Azof, as is explained in my work. It is known that they had just completed large purchases of stores for Sevastopol which we intercepted in our late expedition, so that the merchants had received their money, and the loss wholly fell on the Government." If our ileet had penetrated to Eostof, we should probably have destroyed a still larger amount of stores, and at the latter place the shot and shells which are brought down there from the foundry at Lugan, and from Siberia, for transmission to the Russian fortresses in the Black Sea. Perhaps this may be reserved for another expedition ; for close to Rostof are Novo Tcherkask, the capital of the Don Cossacks, and Naketchivan, an Armenian town, and the head-quarters of many Armenian houses deeply engaged in supplying the commissariat of the Russian army. From the eastern coast of the Sea of Azof may also be obtained large herds of fine horses for our cavalry, and fat beasts for the subsistence of our army. The taking of Anapa will allow the Circassians to overspread the country as far as the Bosphorus, and even, to cross it and assist us in the Crimea, a part of which they formerly occupied, and from which some of their noblest families make it their boast to have come. " As tliis is a point of some imiiovtaiice, I think it right to state that my authority for this statement is Mr. ( 'amithors, late Consul, and Mr. Lander late a merchant, at Taganrok. ' ' INTRODUCTION. xvii From Soujuk Caleh it is now friendly country to Ekaterinodar on the Kuban, the capital of the Black Sea Cossacks ; and if judicious persons Be sent to treat with the Circassians, a long line of easy and important victories wUl be opened to us. But in the East, still more than in the West, everything depends upon a judicious selec- tion of agents ; and it is especially necessary, among free mountaineers, to gain their confidence by kind, considerate conduct, and to persuade them that you have no projects for your own aggrandizement, but wish, by confirming their independence and adding to their strength, to render them a strong bulwark against Eussian aggression. ( xviii ) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. View of Steppes Frontispiece. Plan OF Sevastopol To face p. 62 Plan of the Heracleotio Chbbsonbse „ 148 Plan op Kertoh (Panticap^ttm) „ 256 Greek Antiquities in Gold and Blbctrdm found at Kertoh „ 282 Map op the Crimea and Sea op Azof At the end. Note. — In the Map, Cape Kazantip is represented as fortified by the Eussians. This is an error ; the fortifications were meant to have been marked near Arabat. ( xix ) CONTENTS. CHAPTEE I. THE CKIMBA. General description of the Crimea — Mountains — Rivers — Ancient name — Boundaries — The Steppes to the north coimeoted with it — The roads — Bereslaf — Khers6n ; its foundation and importance — Gloub6ky — Perver- sion of names by the Russians — Nicolaief, head-quarters of Black Sea fleet, described — Odessa — Definition of New Russia — Limits of ancient Scythia — The dominions of the Khans of the Crimea — The Zaporogue Cossacks Page 1 CHAPTEE II. THE STEPPES OP BUSSIA. Extent and boundaries of the Steppes — The Tchorno-ziem^ — Soil and aspect — Their productions — Appearance of the Steppes in spring, summer, and winter — Snow-storms, called "Metel" and "Boura" — "Balkas," or ravines — Roads, their state in spring — Tumuli or "Kourgans" — False tumuli — The mirage — Tchemomore Steppes — Prom Don to Mo- loshna — Moloshna to Dniepr — German colonies — Inhabitants of Steppes — Game — Soroke or Marmot — Biroke — Suslic ■ — The Steppes occupy two-thirds of the Crimea 13 CHAPTEE III. FROM PEEECOP TO 8YMPHEk6pOL. The isthmus of Perecop — Its defences — History — Its capture by Marshal Munich in 1736 — The Crimea and Kilboroun conquered by him — His cruelty and atrocities — The Armenian Bazar — The salt lakes — General view of the sea-coast on each side of the isthmus — The Black Sea and Gulf of Karkinite — Anchorage of Akm^shed — Cape Karamroun — The Lagoon of the Dniepr and Boug defended by Kilboroun and Otohakow — The river Boug — Gloub6ky — Khersdn — The Shivashe, or Putrid Sea — The Tonka, or Strelka, or Arabate — The road from Perecop to Sympherdpol — Sympherdpol 26 b 2 XX , CONTENTS. CHAPTEE IV. BAKTCHESERAI AND TCHOUFOUT KALEH. Description of BaktcWserai— The palace of the Khana — Pouschkin's foun- tain — The great council-room — The hareem — The cemetery — The tomh of Dilara Bikdh — The gorge of Tohoufout Kaleh — Achelama — Tchoufout Kaleh — The Karaim Jews, or those who reject the Talmud — Their very ancient origin — Probable descendants of Sadducees — Their high character — Tomb of the beautiful Nenekedjan — The crypt town of Kirkor Page 37 CHAPTER V. WHO ABE THE TATARS? Origin of the Tatars — Original common stock of the Mongol, Toungous, Turk, and Ugrian groups of nations — Short account of each of these — The Tatars belong to the Turk race — Their royal race, tho Gerays, de- scendants of Zingis Khan, through Tdktamish — Discord in the kingdom of Kiptchak for one hundred years — Kingdom of Crimea founded by Mahomet II. — Held tributary to Constantinople till conquest by the Russians — The conditions — Popular notion that the Gerays are next heirs to the throne of Constantinople — Selim Geray — ■ Constitution of Crimea — Power of the Khans with the Grand Sultan — The Sultans, or royal family, of the Gerays — The wives of the Khans — Character of the Tatars — Their manner of living — Their fidelity 48 CHAPTEE VI. SEVASTOPOL, Road to Sevastopol from Baktch^serai — Conquest and foundation of Sevas- topol in 1783-84 — Description of town and fortress — "TheDvoretz" — Engineer buildings — Fort Alexander and Fort Constantine — South Bay — The Hulks — Bay of Vessels, now the Docks — Description of the bar- racks—Hospitals, Slobodes — Colonel Upton and anecdotes of Russian workmen — Sevastopol in 1834 — Reservoir of Sevastopol — Sievarna fort — The citadel — Observations of Sir Howard Douglas on the siege Military stores — Arsenals of Russia — Manufactories of fire-arms Cannon foundries — Stores come to Sevastopol by the Don and the Azof — The road by the Arabate and Perecop — Fortifying of Cape Kazantip — Undefended state of Kertch up .to May last — Public gardens — Haxt- hausen on the object of Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet — Chopin on the Anglo-French alliance — Conclusion 61 CONTENTS. xxi C H A P T E E VI I. THE RUSSIAN NAVY. Its origin under Peter tlie Great — Early victories of the Varangiaas, or Normaus, aiid Cossacks — Eow-boats more useful in the Baltic than large vessels — The navy under Catherine II. — English instructors — Diffi- culty in manning the fleet — No mercantile na\y — Organization of tlie liussian flcot — No marines — Oali for navy — Food of sailors — Eussian vessels on foreign stations — Only one Kussian foreign merchant — Greek iulluenoo diminished in IS-M- "The Twelve Apostles " — " The Teredo Navalis" — The Afl'air of Smope — The Paixhans shell system — General observations Pa^g 33 CHAPTEE VIII. ON THE RUSSIAN ARMY. r,ars;'o proportion of Eussian population In the aimy — Military organization — Poacoable natural disposition of Eussian people — Strong feelings when roused — Obedience to orders — Anecdotes — Commercial disposition of the Eussian people ^ Their wish to mix ^vith European nations — Educa- tion chocked by the Government — Military system of Peter the Great — His great objects — Faults of our Gfoverument with i-espect to Eussian IKilicy — The ai-my, whence recruited — Great Eussians — Poles — Little Eussiaus — Finns, Jews, &c. — Name "Euski" or Eussian — Its origin — The conscription — Soldiers" marriages — The Caatonists — Emperor's efforts to improve condition of common soldier generally unsuccessful — Corporal punishmeut — Labour — " Indefinite leave " — Di\-ision of empire for conscription — Amount of population per cent, taken from lS4i1-l85;"i — Expense of the Eussian soldier — Democratic system of army — The cross of St. George — Classification of Eussian army — Into 1st, Corps d'Armfc, or complete armies — -nd, Local Eegular Troops — 3r1, In-egulara — Don, Black Sea, and Ural Cossacks — Value aud number of Cossack troops — Various Asiatic irregulars — General obser^Titions 96 CHAPTEE IX. IXKKRMAN, MANGOUP, AND THE HILLY COUXTKY OF THE CRIMEA. Tlie Iniy of Sovastoiwl to lukei-man — Aktiai' — Inkermau Castle — Its history — Crypts — Fuller's earth, or uatuitil soap — Teborgouna — Tchouli, i-esidonce of Pallas — Crypts at Karakoba — Mount Aitliodor — Alaugoup — Deserfl4ion and history — Godiie ai'chitectm-e — Position of Man-jjHip — Interesting eharaeter of surrounding wuntry — The Tchat_\T- Pa-h and the Yailas .' " 137 xxii CONTENTS. CHAPTER X. THE HERACLEOTIC CHKKSO'ESE. The Heracleotic Chersonese — Origin of name — Defended by a wall — Kher- son—Its history and remains — House of Lamachus — The predecessors of Vladimir and their relations \nth Constantinople — Account of the siege liy Vladimir, taken out of Nestor — Vladimir's Baptism— Springs of water — Khei-s6n destroyed by Lithuanians — The bays between Sevastopol and Cape Chersonese — Cape Parthenik^ — The Tauric Diana — The monastery of St. George — Bustards on the Chersonese Page 148 CHAPTER XI. ox THE ANCIENT IKHABITANTS OF THE CRIMEA. The Cmimerii — The Tauri — Connexion of Greece -n-ith the Black Sea — Digression on the Crypts of the Crimea — B.C. 600: the Scythians — The Greek colonies, b.c. 650 — Milesian emigi-ation — Dorian emigration — Trade of these early times — Mithiidates, reigned B.C. 120-63 — a.d. 62: The Alans — A.D. 100-200: The Goths — a.d. 376: The Huns — Second attack of the Huns — Justinian reigned, a.d. 527-565 — a.d. 679: The Khazars — A.D. 900-1000: The Petchenegues — About 1204 : The Comans — 1226: The Tatars — The Genoese — 1473 : Kaffa taken by the Turks — The Black Sea then shut up to European nations — Mixture of races in present inhabitants of Crimea 166 CHAPTER XII. BALACLAVA AND VALLEY OP BAIDAK. Balaclava — Karl Hitter's views of the importance of the Black Sea in very early times — Homer's account of Balaclava — The Cembalo of the Genoese — Tatar occupation of it — Arnaouts — Tchorgouna — Mackenzie's Farm — Valley of Baidar — Manners of the Tatars — Woronzofroad .. .. 182 CHAPTER XIII. THE SOUTHERN COAST, AS FAR AS ALOUCHTA. Pass of Phoros — First view of the Southern Coast — The climate — Valley of Laspi — Mount Aia, or Cape Saritch — Modern Laspi — Phoros to Kikineis — Land slips — Lime'ne — Singular appearance of Tatars — Aloupka — Prince Woronzof's palace — Gardens — Luxuriant vegetation — Craters — Account of Piince Woronzof — Miskhor — Koureis, seat of Princess Galitzin — Madame de Krudener and Comtesse Lamothe — Gaspra — Mount A'ithodor — Imperial Orianda — Ouchans(5u — Yalta The mountain pass to Baktch&erai — Marsanda — Cyclopean remains Ma- garatch — Nikita — B otanical gardens — St . Daniel — Oursouf — Ancient castle of Justinian — Cyclopean remains — Moimt Aioud&gh, the ancient Krioumetdpon Prom — Village of Pai-theni'te — Great and Little Lambat — The Chaos — Niunberless ancient remains — The pass of Mount Castelc — The descent to Alouchta Xi^7 CONTENTS, xxm CHAPTER XIV. Till! EASTEKN COAST AND SOUDAK. Alouchta — The Eastern and Western Coasts — Oulou Ouze'ne, the property of Mrs. Laug — Mdllo. Jaoqiiemart — The Bay of Soiidak — Ruins of the triple fortress — The Kiz KoiilW, or Girl's Tower — Ancient Soldaya — Its liistory — Ren\ains — Vandalism of the Russians — Ruined barracks — The Crimean Wine Company — The wines of tlie Crimea — Prices of land in the Crimea — Road to Theodosia — Tatar hospitality — Koktebel . . . . Page 220 OHAPTEE XV. FROM ALOUCHTA TO SIMPHEb6F0L, KARASOUBAZAK, ESKI KMM, AND THEODOSIA. Valley of Alouchta — Obelisk — Valley of the Augar — Tavshan Bazar — Fortified Gorge — Yenisila, a Greek Colony — Aian and the source of the Sal^hir — Ascent of the Tchatyi'-Dagh — Taila — Snow reservoirs — Fi-om Tchafki to Simpher6pol — Excui'sion up valley of Little Salghir to caves of Kisilkoba — Caverns — Simpher6pol to Karasouhazai- — The Shireen family — Eski Krini — Theodosia, or Kaffa — b.o. 700, Theodosia foimded by Mile- siims — A.D. 250, totally desti'oyod by the Huns — Desert for 1000 years — A.D. l'J80, Kaffa founded by Genoese on site of Theodosia — Short history of it — A.D. 1475, taken by Turks — Its decline — Revival in seventeenth century — 1781, taken by Russians — D'esoription of ruins — Their de- sti-uotion by the Russians — Position of Kaffa in commercial point of view — Arabat — The wall of Asander — The approach to Kertch . . . . 236 CHAPTER XVT. Appi-oach to Kertch — The Cimmerian Bosphorus — Russian conquest of Kertch in 1771 — Its rise since 1833 — Its chance of beconring the emporium of trade for tlie Sea of Azof — Russian authorities — Ancient church — Kertdi, the ancient Pauticapffium — Acropolis — Arm-diair of Mithridates — AlMe of Timiuli on Theodosian road — The Timiulus a sign of Milesian occupation — Contents of Tumuli on Theodosian road — Etruscan vases at Kertch — Burial-places of the poor — Tomb of the Pigmies — The Cata- combs—The Tombs of the Kings — The Golden Mountain — The rich discoveries at Kouloba — Description of the contents of the Tomb — Pil- laged by the people — Probably that of Leiicon I., or Paerisades I. — Tlie Museum — Myrme'kium — Mud volcanoes — Naphtha springs — Cnpe Ak- boroun — Nymphanim — Hcrriu? fishery — Opouk, the ancient Kimme- ' 255 ncum xxiv CONTENTS. CHAPTEE XVII. THE SEA OF AZOF, The Sea of Azof— Its extent and boundaries — Its depth continually diminishes — Its sweet water — Its rivers — Currents — The Straits of Kertch — The Russian defences of it — The eastern shores — Temrduk — Okhtor — Cape Ohriv — The fishing-huts — Bay and new tnwn of Yeisk — Cape Tchimhorsk — Mouths of Don — Bars of the Don — Old town of Azof — Hostof — Its commercial importance — Shallowness of water in Grulf of the Don — The Azof frozen in winter — Euins of ancient Tana — Taganrok founded by Peter the Great — Its history — Its importa,nce — Mariopol — Cape Bielo-Serai — Berdiansk — Its foundation — Port is filling up — Lake Moloshenska — Peninsula of Berutchi — Straits of Ye'nitohi Page 299 CHAPTEE XVIII. ON THE OOMMEECE OF THE SEA OF AZOF. Rostof, key to commercial system — A district of the Government of Eka- terinoslaf — Its gradual rise since 1835 — Articles of export — Wheat — Linseed — Rye — Military stores sent by the Azof to Sevastopol, &c. — Iron foundries of Lugan — Tallow — Breeds of cattle — System of advances — Agencies of foreign merchants, chiefly at Pavlosk — Advantages of Free Trade — Passage of goods by the Don and the Volga — Dubof ka and Katchalin — Hardships of the military system — Intelligence of Russian merchants — True policy of Russia 312 APPENDIX. (A.) List of the Russian Naval Force in the Black Sea, Jan. 1853 .. 337 (B.) Suv6rof s Discourse under the Trigger 340 (C.) The Timber Trade of Northern and Southern Russia 346 (D.) Commerce of Ports of Crimea 35O (E.) On the advantage of establishing a Free Port on the Danube at the St. George's Mouth of the river 354 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE CRIMEA, AND THE SHORES OF THE SEA OF AZOF. CHAPTER I. TIIK CHIME A. General description of the Crimea — Mountains — Rivers — Ancient name — Boundaries — Tlie Steppes to the north connected with it — The roads — Bereslaf — Kherson ; its foundation and importance — Glouhdky — Perver- sion of names by the Eussiana — Nioclaief, head-quarters of Blaols; Sea fleet, described — Odessa — Definition of New Russia — Limits of ancient Koythia — The dominions of the Khans of the Crimea — The Zaporogue Cossaolcs. The peninsula of the Crimea is a southern portion of the Steppes of Russia, raised by volcanic action out of nearly the centre of the Black Sea. It is about 200 miles across in a direct hue from Cape Karamroun on the western side above Eupatoria to Cape Fanar, the furthest point east- ward on the Straits of Kertch, and 125 miles from Pere- cop to Cape Kikineis on the southern coast. It contains a population of about 200,000 inhabitants, and covers an area of 10,050 English square miles. The Tauric range of mountains runs east and west along the southern coast from Balaclava to Theodosia, and gene- rally within a few hundred yards of the shore, which, being protected by them from the northern winds, enjoys a de- licious climate, like that of southern Italy. But this mild temperature is confined to the narrow strip of land along the coast which is shut in by the mountains, and to the north of them the weather shows severe alternations of 2 THE CRIMEA : Chap. I. heat and cold, and the snow in some seasons covers the ground for a considerable time in winter. The moun- tains themselves occupy a large space, and rise to a height of from 1000 to 5000 feet. They are generally flat- topped or dome-shaped, and hold within their range high elevated plains called Tailas. Their summits reveal granite and other primitive rocks, and on their northern sides lie, like a mantle, the Steppes, which constitute all the northern portion, and nearly two-thirds of the area, of the whole peninsula. These steppes gradually incline downwards towards the north, and hence received from the later Grreeks the name of " ta climata," or the inclines.* The following are the principal rivers : — Eastward, the Salghir, the Bulga- nak, the three Andols, the Tchoroksou, the Soubashi, and the Karagos, which flow into the Sliivashe or great lagoon on the east, improperly called the Putrid Sea ; and on the westward, the western Bulganak, the Alma, the Katcha, and the Belbek, which discharge their waters into the long open bay at the head of which stands Eupatoria. The peninsula of the Crimea was known to the Greeks under the name of the Taurica Chersonesus, and in the middle ages was called Grothia. It is now called either the Tauride (a version of its first appellation), or more commonly Crimea, from the famous city of Eski Krim, near Theodosia, which was built by the Tatars in the thirteenth century, and is now a ruin. ° This name appears for the first ne.xt to the Chersonites, of whomthey- time in Theophanes, page 316. He are the carriers. They always treat says, " Justinian remembering the them well, as it would be easy for plot againsthimoftheChersonites, the them to ravage and destroy Cherson Bosphorians, and the inhabitants of and the Klimata." He adds, " From the other Klimata." Some authors Cherson to the Bosphorus ' are the supposed it to refer to the southern castles of the Klimata." Dubois, Voy- coast, but Dubois a]iplies it to the age autour du Caucase, che'z les northemslopesof theTauricchain(the Tcherkess Abkhazes, en Calchide ' same country which was called Doru en Georgie, en Arm^nie, en Crimfe ': by the earlier writers), principally ouvrage qui a remporte le prix de la from the following passage in Con- Socie't^ de Gdographie de Paris 1838 : stantinePorphyrogenitus: — "Onepart vol. v. p. 5. ' of the nation of the Patzinakes is found Chap. I. BOUNDAEIES— ROADS. 3 The Crimea is joined to tlie main land by the narrow isthmus of Perecop, on each side of which there is a very shallow sea. To the north of it the dreary plains of Russia extend interminably, on the west to Bessarabia and the Ukraine, and on the east to Tatary and Siberia. There has in all times been a connexion between the Steppes to the north of Perecop and the peninsula of the Crimea itself, and they have both generally been in the possession of the same people. A portion of the Steppes, bounded by Bereslaf, Alexandropol, and Mariopol, are now included in the Russian government of the Tauride. As the character of the Steppes is very peculiar, and they form, as I have said, about two-thirds even of the whole peninsula of the Crimea, I have thrown together in the next chapter some general observations upon them. I will now say a few words about the road between Perecop and Odessa, and the principal towns through which it passes. The whole distance is 852 miles,^ and there are post-horses along the road, which runs entirely through the Steppes. Road, however, properly speaking, there is none ; for even outside the gates of Odessa the traveller follows the track of those that have preceded him, and in dry weather bowls rapidly along, but is arrested by the slightest faR of rain. I left Odessa, in the year 1843, in the commencement of August, in a light britska drawn by three horses, and in consequence of a slight shower of rain in the morning I was stopped halfway in the rich loam of the Steppes, and was obliged to pass the night there, and send on to the next station for three fresh horses to pull my carriage through the heavy ground. The road from Perecop to Bereslaf, on the banks of theDniepr, runs 52i miles across a perfectly flat country, where the soil is not fertile. The latter town is situated ^ That is, passing through Beres- only 332 miles, but this road is not laf ; for, by going straight from Pe- always practicable, on account of the recop to Kherson by Adeski, it is difficulty of crossing the Dniepr. B 2 4 THE CRIMEA : Chap. I. on the right bank of the Dniepr, which is precipitous and very much higher than the left bank, which is shelving, and this pecuharity is found in all the rivers of the south of Russia. Bereslaf owes its importance to its situation at a point where the Dniepr is crossed by a wooden bridge. In the Greek period it was called Miletopol, and in later times it belonged to the Zaporogue Cossacks till their conquest by the Russians." From Bereslaf to Kherson is 47 miles, and the road runs along the bank of the Dniepr. The town of Kher- son is the capital of the government of the same name, which is bounded by the governments of the Tauride, Ekaterinoslaf, Kief, and Podolia, touching also at some points on Moldavia, Bessarabia, and the Black Sea. The north and north-west parts of the government of Kherson are very fertile, and produce great quantities of wheat ; although the sod becomes dry and sandy on approaching the Black Sea. Before its conquest by the Russians this was the country of the Nogai Tatars, who were also called Precopian Tatars, but none of their tribes now remain to the westward of the Dniepr. The population of the government of Kherson now amounts to between 300,000 and 400,000, and is composed of Russians, Armenians, Jews, Germans, and Bulgarians. The town of Kherson is situated on the north bank of the Dniepr,* which here spreads out into a wide kind of " Its old Eussian name was Belaio most productive. It affoi-ds the most Veja, and it was called KizKerman, or excellent and valuable pasture for the Girl's Castle, by the Tatars (Vsevo- cattle, and tish of the hit^hest ex- lovski, Diet. Hist. Gfog. de la Russie). cellence and in great quantities • ■i The following is the account it is most sweet to drink ; it flows Herodotus gives of this river :— " The pure in the midst of turbid rivers ■ fourth is the river Borysthenes, which the sown land near it is of the best is the lai-gest of these after the Ister, quality ; and the herba