298 JOURNEY THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF THE CRIMEA,

During my vifit, the Turks were employed in eredting a ftonefort, near the village of Dfhemetri, lying on the fteep emi-nence at the commencement of the ifthmus; on which accounta veffel was there ftationed: to oppofe this fort, it is intendedto conftrudt, a fimilar fortification on the Ruffian fide; and,with a view to maintain the communication, a redoubt isbuilt on the road leading to the piquet, at a diftance fomewhatexceeding one verft from Taman.—Clofe to the fea-fhore,and within fight, is the Turkilh fortrefs of Anape.

On proceeding fix verfts beyond the picquet, towards theKeefiltafh-Burun, a hilly point of land between the Keefiltafhkoiand Kubanfkoi Leemans, we faw on the left one of the moftconfiderable hillocks, near which are difcernible the traces andruins of an ancient city, probably the Phanagoria of Strabo,which he places in the vicinity of Kubanfkoi-Leeman, formerlycalled the Korokondametis. Other travellers have fearchedhere for the city of Korokondama; but, according to the pre-cife and clear expreffions of Strabo, it was oppofite to Pantika-pasum, only ten ftadia, or two verfts, from the Bugas ; whereindubitable veftiges of it may füll be difcovered.—Immediatelybelow the furface of this height, are beds of reddifh calcareousftone, entirely compofed of fhells, from the colour of whichthe Tartars have named it Keefiltafh-Burun, or the point ofthe red rock.

The middle tra£t of the ifle of Taman, fituated betweenthe Kubanfkoi and Temrukfkoi-Leemans, is the higheft andmoft hilly part of the whole country; being alfo the moft

fertile