3lo JOURNEY THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF THE CRIMEA,

(which has an oval bottom with a quagmire in its centre, andis twenty-eight paces long) are twenty pits, many of whichare filled with falt-water; but fome of them are dry, andcontain only rock-oil. In all thefe pits, a brown petrolcumcolledls on the furface; the bituminous earthy ftratum is pro-bably concealed beneath that part of the large Valley wherethe harren fpots occur. An extenfive piain, abounding withgrafs and herbs, furrounds the Temrukfkoi or Aftoneeyfkoi-Leeman : it formerly contained fome Tartar villages, and is atprefent occupied by feveral farms belonging to the Kozaks.In its upper part, which is feparated by an extenfive bankof reeds, the water is fweet and potable; but, lower downtowards Temruk, it is fetid and brackifh. This Leeman pro-duces great numbers of carp, various fpecies of pike, and otherfcaly fifli, as well as crabs of a bitterifh tafte.

On advancing farther on the Temruk road, we faw MountShumukai, lying directly oppofite to the eaft end of the bay ofTaman. On the upper part of this hill, are fome fpots coveredwith reeds, and a few eminences refembling barrows: thewhole is interfe&ed by different hollows, and extends fomeverfts towards the Eaft, with a broad ridge. On the widebafe of this mountain, about twenty verfts from Taman,there is a conical hill, vifible at a diftance ; and which, fromits appearance, has probably been produced by a fubterraneouseruption. It is called by the Tartars, Kül-obo or Kül-tepe,fignifying the Hill of Afties. When viewed on the beachfrom the Weft, it is not unlike a fmall volcano, the uppercone of which is of a light-grey fhade, being deftitute of ver-dure, and probably of modern origin. It feems of lefs mag-

nitude