124

VERNAL JOURNEY TO ASTRAKHAN.

flowed. At fuch times travellers can proceed in boats directlyto Aftrakhan ; and by this way the diftance is only thirty verfts,and fometimes even lefs. On the contrary, when the watersare low, and efpecially when the wind blows towards the fea,and propels them outwards, travellers are obliged to make aconfiderable circuit up the Akhtouba, by which the voyage isprotracted to feventy verfts. It is the fame in winter, whenthe ice is broken by the fea-winds, and thrown up on the otherfide of the ifles: befides thefe inconveniences, a fimilar circum-ftance happens when the water from the fea inundates them,and thus renders the dired road impaflable.

This city is of an oblong form, and interfe&ed by a principalftreet: it contains about three hundred houfes, a ftone-church,fufEcienfly large for the population of the place, and one ofwood. The garrifon confifts of one hundred infantry, whofeCommander ranks as a ftaff-officer, and one hundred Kozaks.The inhabitants are either merchants or fifhermen : confe-quently there is a great want of mechanics. The woodenfortifications of this place are totally decayed, except twoturrets ; and the means of defence at prefent confift of chevauxde frife and two open batteries. The gardens of the inha-bitants are particularly celebrated for delicious autumnal pears,called Duft, and for their apples, among which are a remark-ably large fpecies, and another which they call Mamutofskyeyabloki, or the Boukharian fort. The gardens likewife producea very large fpecies of white onion, which is much efteemed.Thefe fruits, and fiih, are the only trafHc of the inhabitants, whoconvey them in boats to the market of Aftrakhan, where they are

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