36 JOURNEY THROUGH THE SOUTH-WESTERN QUARTER

fides before alluded to, and which are locked during the night.Although the ftreets are crooked, narrow, and have a rockybottom for their pavement, except the principal road, whichis provided with broad flags for the accommodation of perfonson foot; yet, on the whole, they are remarkably clean. Inthe centre of the town there is a third gate, by which itsformer fize and prefent enlargement may be eafily afcertained.Contiguous to this gate is the maufoleum, which, according totradition, has been erected for a daughter of Toktamyfh-Khan.It confifts of two fepulchral vaults raifed one above another,with an ornamental arched portico on its weftern fide. Thisprincefs was astfully feduced by a murfa, or nobleman, whofled with her to the fortrefs, which, at that time (being about350 years flnce), was in the pofleffion of the Genoefe. Manyhoufes in Dfhufut-Kale, as well as a metfhet, then belonged tothe Tartars. The fynagogue is a fine edifice embelliflied witha fmall garden, for the celebration of the Feaft of the Taber-nacles. All the court yards are, according to the Tartar modeof building, encompafled with high walls; and the whole isconftructed of raw lime-ftone, plaftered with clay. The placecontains about two hundred dwelling-houfes clofely built toge-ther; and the population of both fexes does not exceed 1200perfons. They are exclufively Karaites, or, as they call them-felves, Karaimes ; and they receive no other Jews into theirCommunity, excepting the Polifh Karaites, who, like the former,reject the Talmud. Their bibles are alfo furnifhed fromPoland; but their drefs refembles that of aged Tartars, whofelanguage they have uniformly adopted. Having from timeimmemorial lived under the government of the Tartars, they

have