TRAVELS IN THE CRIMEA. 9

During the prevalence of Eaft winds, a difagreeable fmell fromthe Sivq/b, or Putrid Sea, is ftrongly perceived at Perekop. It isneverthelefs believed, that thefe vapours preferve the inhabitantsfrom thofe intermittent fevers which were formerly very fre-quent in the Crimea; a remark which I have alfo heard inother places refpeöing the febrifuge effecT: of exhalations pro-ceeding from the fea-fhore.

On the 20,th of O&ober, we purfued our journey towardsSytnpberopol^ which, at that time, was the feat of the TauridanGovernment.

The northern three quarters of the Crimean peninfula ex-hibit an irregulär piain or fteppe, which is occaüonally diver-fified with deeper fpots of ground, or hollow glens. The foilvaries in its quality; but for the moft part, and efpecially atthe angle which terminates between Perekop and Koflof, itis either fandy on the furface, or confifts of fand combinedwith clay. The Tartars call this angle Tarkhon-Dip> and theRuffians, Tarkbati/koi-Kut. In fome diftricts, for inftance,from Perekop to the falt lakes, this piain is of a dry, clayey,*faline nature, refeinbling a marine vifcous mire, and is notunlike that of the Cafpian Steppe: it declines imperceptiblytowards the falt lakes; and its ground was very flippery, inconfequence of the rain that had fallen during the night.

The diftance from Perekop to Armanßoi, or Novoi Bazar, iscomputed to be four verfts; but it appeared to be rather lefs.Eighteen verfts farther, we arrived at the fouthern extremity ofTw/Zß, or the old falt lake Siaroe-ofero ; the fteep banks ofwhich are about fix feet higher than its level fhore, wherethe Salfola ericoides vegetates with great luxuriance. I forbear,

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