4 TRAVELS IN THE CRIMEA.

to build winter-dwellings for their accommodation; and pro-grefilvely to extend their tillage.

Perekop, or in the Tartar language Or-Kapi, is the firft in-habited place of the Crimea, properly fo called; and whichwas anciently termed the Tauridan Cherfonefus. Travellers,vifiting this peninfula, generally pafs through Perekop; thougheven now numerous vehicles, Coming thither from Ruffia Minorwith provifions, and taking fifh or other commodities in return,crofs the narrow ftreight of Sivafh in ferry boats, efpeciallywhen deflined to the eaftern parts of the Crimea: in this cafe,they pafs near the fmall fort Jenlts-Khe, or Tonkoi, as it isnow termed by the Ruffians; and which is at prefent abandoned:thence they travel along the fandy ifthmus of Arabat, whichextends to one hundred and ten verfts in length, and is infome parts extremely narrow.

As the whole peninfula is connected with the Continentonly by the ifthmus of Perekop, it is highly probable that theCrimea anciently, with its more elevated Southern part, formeda complete ifland, when the waters of the Black Sea werealfo higher; as appears from various hiftorical paflages of theancients*. Even in the more remote ages, this ifthmus wasfortified with the view of protecting the peninfula againft theirruptions of the Tauro-Scythiaias. Thofe fortifications con-fifted of a wall, ftrengthened with towers ; from which circum-

* Pliny, in the fourth book of his Nat. Hift. eh. 26, expreffes himfelf in the followingmanner: " Sed a Carcinite Taurica ineipit, quondam mar'i circumfufa et ipfa, quoquo nuncjacent campt; deinde •oaß'u attollitur jug'u." Count Pototfky has inadvertently given animperfeft tranflation of this paffage, in his " Fragments h'tstoriquei et geographiques für laScythie, la Sarmatie, et let Slaves." Tom. 1. p. 37.

ftance

.:-■>.