OF THE CRIMEAN PENINSULA.
77
That the late Cherronefus was furnifhed with water by meansof aqueducts, is evident from the ruins of an octagonal buildingfituated at the diftance of nearly a verft. In one corner ofthis ftru&ure is an aperture, through which a perfon maydefcend to the depth of about five arfhines; where a narrowpaflage, extending to fifteen fathoms in an eaftern diredion,leads to a kind of well feveral feet deep, whence pure waterrifes, overflows into the entrance, and afterwards difappears.Behind this fpring two other paflages are difcoverable, one ofwhich is completely filled up, büt the other proceeds to fomediftance. All thefe circumftances indicate, that fuch ruinsbelong to a former fubterraneous aquedud.
The numerous walls occupying the greateft part of theCherfonefus, are now altogether in ruins. They had fervedto enclofe large fquares or oblong fields; fometimes formingftreets, and, in fome places, feveral rows of fmall partitions,that are of fimilar dimenfions with thofe above ftated, fo as toreprefent the former eftablifhment of colonial villages. Befidethefe walls, the fragments of which are in a manner purpofelyfcattered over the whole foil, we obferved in every diredionthe veftiges of fingle buildings conftruded with large free-ftones; and which had probably been towers intended to pro-ted and to afford an afylum to the inhabitants, when expofedto the incurfions of the Tauro-Scythians. Such eredions aremoft numerous in the lower vicinity of the city, between theroad to Balaklava and the beautiful vallies watered by fprings,where the farms of Admirals Putofhkin and Ufhakof arefituated. I counted thirteen, at the leaft, within the extent of
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