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80 JOURNEY THROUGH THE SOUTH-WESTERN QUAHTER

teen fpans or upwards* in thicknefs, and feven in breadth.With this ftru&ure it is connected by a tranfverfe wall; and,after paffing by feveral other veftiges of buildings, it at lengthterminates towards the Valley, at the diftance of about twohundred paces. As this vale conftitutes the moft beautifuland fertile region of the whole Cherfonefus, it is by no meansfurprizing that fuch a diftrid was defended by numerous for-tifications.

About three, or three verfts and a half from the new townof Korflun, we again rnet with elevations, on which manycircular rows of ftones were arranged contiguous to eachother ; and which refembled thofe I have already conjecturedto be tombs of the Cherfonites ; but they are ftill more numer-ous in*the environs of the valley extending towards the bay ofStreletz-kaya. The internal ftru£ture of thefe fepulchres de-ferves to be examined by the fpade; but I had no favourableopportunides during my refidence in this country, and foundmyfelf deftitute of the afliftance required for fuch purpofe.

It now remains only to mention the plants, which at dif-ferent feafons of the year I obferved to be indigenous in theCrimea. Among the trees and fhrubs are, the Dwarf WhiteBeech; the Dwarf Elm; the Grey Oak or Cerris ; the Juni-perus Phanicia, Pyrits nivalis, Prunus fpinofa, Paliurus, Rofa

* The accuracy of this vague mode of calculating appears to be very doubtful: for,if each^>an be computed at nine inches, thofe marvellous hewn ftones muft have meafuredten feet fix inches, by five feet three inches ; a fize of which there occurs no inftance in■incient or modern architefture. On the whole, it fhould be remarked that, from theauthor's perplexed and diftorted ftyle, it is in many inftances almoft impoflible to forma eorreft idea of the objefts defcribed, or to tranilate his text into piain language.

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