OF THE CRIMEA.

45»

which covers whole mountains; the roots of the Statice cori-aria; wild fage; and the Vinca> or perriwinkle. In fact, nobranch of manufacture promifes to be more lucrative to theinhabitants of the Crimea (which fupports very numerous herdsof cattle) than tanning; as the Turkifh harbours prefent acertain and profitable mart for all forts of prepared leather.

Among the plants delighting in a faline foil, there is anabundance of the different fpecies of faltwort, not only on theCrimean coaft, and around the lakes; but alfo in every fitua-tion, where the earth is in the flighteft degree impregnatedwith falt or nitre, the Atriplex laciniata grows in profufion:from the latter plant, feveral Greeks have acquired the art ofburning excellent Soda, or Kallia; which is exported to Con-ftantinople, and even to the more diftant maritime towns ofthe Mediterranean.

Numerous medicinal plants, which are at prefent obtainedfrom the Levant and Greece, might be cultivated in Crim-Tartary; where many of them are already indigenous. Amongother natural produ&ions, genuine turpentine might here becollected. The Convolvulus Scammonia ; peonies, the roots ofwhich are very aromatic ; the Belladonna; together with thofefalutary herbs in fevers, the Cbamaedrys, Chamaepithys^ andScordium; rue and fage; balm; Pontian wormwood; DicJamnusalbus; Rufcus, and other officinal plants, grow in abundanceon.the mountains, and are very efficacious. Befide other marinevegetables flourifhing on the rocky and ftony banks in the fea,there occurs the peculiar worm-herb employed by the Greekapothecaries ; and which they alfo diftinguifh by the correfpond-ing name of Lcvithochorto.

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