8

TRAVELS IN THE CRIMEA.

confequence; in fome refpeös to Ruffia, and in others to theCrimea. If, for inftance, the plague fhould ever fpread itsbaneful influence into Crim-Tartary; an event, which the con-ftant trade carried on with Conftantinople and Anatolia, mighteafily produce ; or, if feditious commotions fhould arife amongthe Tartars, whofe loyalty is ftill doubtful, in thefe cafes Pere-kop would efFectually fecure the empire, by clofely fhutting thebarrier. On the other hand, this fortrefs not only rendersevery attempt at defertions from the Crimea into Ruflia verydifficult; but if, in future, the proje£t of opening free portsfhould be realized, and thus the important commerce from theBlack Sea to the Mediterranean, and to Anatolia, be vigorouflypromoted, Perekop would then afford the moft convenientfituation for a cuftom-houfe. Farther, if the be/l ports of theCrimea were appointed, in the fame manner as thofe of Toulonand Marfeilles have been felected for all the fouthern parts ofFrance, in Order to eftablifh places of quarantine for all fhips«avigating the Black Sea and that of Azof, fo that all veffelsdeftined for Taganrog, Kherfon, and OdefTa, fhould be obligedto perform a certain quarantine at Sevaftopol, KafFa, and Kertfh,as has already been twice propofed,—the important pafs ofPerekop would for ever fecure the open and more populousprovinces of the interior parts of the empire from that terriblefcourge, the plague. Thus, all danger might be obviated, notonly from the fea of Azof, the coafts of which are in everydire&ion expofed to the contagion, fo that they can withdifficulty be protected; but alfo from the ports of Kherfon,Nikolaef, and Odeffa. At the fame time, the expenfe of main-taining various places for quarantines might be greatly reduced,and complete inftitutions of this nature be fpeedily eftablifhed.

During