27 2 JOURNEY THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF THE CRIMEA,

fuch elevation. All the Tartars, who inhabit the Crimean plains,and the whole peninfula of Kertfh, are obliged to employan artificial turf prepared with düng, as a fubftitute for fuel;and, as the afhes of this combuftible are accumulated in heapscontiguous to their dwellings, I am inclined to think thatlarge quantities of excellent nitre might thence be extracted.There are no orchards to be feen throughout the peninfula ofthe Bofphorus. The arable land here confifts of an uniformlyblack mould, and is remarkably fertile. A few low grounds,impregnated with falt, extend to fome diftance from thevillage. In other refpects, the country was level, tili we hadpafled the fucceffive villages of Aleeby and Keeyat, as well asthe ftage of Wogibelee, Aibelee, or, as it is fometimes called,Ogibel, which is embellifhed with a metfhet ere&ed of ftone;and where we again reached the poft-road, after a journey offourteen verfts from Shiban. But, in this neighbourhood,flat ridges begin to rife acrofs the peninfula, in a tranfverfedireftion ; being perceptibly fteeper on their weftern fide, andalternately interfected with broad plains and hollow grounds,which proceed to both feas. The black foil produces numerousplants, fuch as likewife grow on the fteppes. The commonlizard, Lacerta agilis, is here, as well as in the plains aroundthe Karaflu, of a very large fize; being in general of a grafs-green colour, fometimes fpotted, or even of a brownifh hue,and exceedingly numerous.

Our next ftage was Argin, a depopulated Tartar village, four-teen miles diftant from Arabat. It prefents, however, a re-fpe&able metfhet, built of free-ftone, wherein are cut manypaflages from the Koran j feveral tomb-ftones, fome of which

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