OF THE CRIMEAN PENINSULA.

59

feafon, and emitted an offenfive fmell. It is about 130fathoms in length; the low dam that feparates it being 60fathoms long, and 23 broad ; of which breadth, fourteen fathomsexhibit a flat white ftrand, that appears, at other feafons, tohave been inundated by the water of the lake. A very fimilarfalt-pond, fixty fathoms in length, borders on the North-weftern level fhore of that neck of land which prefents theform of a fpade, terminating the boundary of the Crimea.This likewife has apparently arifen from a fmall creek that wasprobably confined by a bank* nearly fixty fathoms in length,and twenty in breadth ; being compofed of fragments of ftoneand mire drifted together by the fury of the waves, andrefembling in its conftituent parts the ftrand, which is in amanner defended by a fmall natural dike: thus it is at prefentdifunited from the open fea, and frequently depofits falt duringhot fummers. Although the faline matter is of a very inferiorquality, being too ftrongly impregnated with Epfom or BitterSalt, it is neverthelefs fpeedily carried away and conlumed bythe Tartars inhabiting the adjacent villages on the mountains;who, by way of tribute for luch permiffion, deliver everytenth load at Akhtiar to the proprietor of this and other falinelakes fituated near the Round Bay. Of fimilar origin appearto be thofe two falt-pits which are nearly in a dry ftate, andonly 60 fathoms diftant from the light-houfe erected on thispoint of land. They are likewife feparated from the fea only

* Between the ftones of this bank, during the month of Augufl, I frequently metwith the Crithmum maritimum, a remarkable fpicy plant, which occurs but rarely on thefouthern coaft of the Crimea.

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