i^HI

476

GENERAL REMARKS ON THE PENINSULA

of five thoufand two hundred rubles: his contra£t expired inthe year 1795.

The falt, depofited in all thefe lakes, is of an inferior

quality. When it is intended to be ufed for curing meat, with

which an important traffic might be carried on to the Medi-

terranean, as well as for fupplying the fifheries, it ought pre-

vioufly to be purified of its earthy and magnefian particles, by

the affufion of frefh water. Many of thefe falts poflefs the well-

known violet odour, that always indicates an impure flate;

and fome of the lakes are alfo diflinguifhed by the red tinge,

which I remarked in various faline waters of Siberia, during

my travels in that country. The pureft falt is produced by

the lake& in the immediate vicinity of Perekop; and, in fome

of thofe occurring in the peninfula of Kertfh, it is found

tolerably pure, in quadrangular inverted pyramids. Since the

year 1788, a vaft quantity of that commodity has been

obtained from fuch of the lakes above enumerated, as are

moft conveniently fituated for its exportation. In that year,

842,660 poods of falt were dug out of the lakes of Perekop;

from thofe of Koflof, 60,000 poods; of KafFa, 46,890 poods;

of Kertfh, 15,380 poods; of that in the neighbourhood of

Jenits-khe, 517,495 poods; together 1,482,425 poods.—In the

year 1789, the quantity, gained at KafFa, was 27,243 poods;

at Kertfh, 8,454 poods ; at Jenits-khe, 400,000 poods ; making

a total of 435,697 poods;—in the year 1790, at Perekop,

1,809,390 poods; at Koflof, 12,425; at KafFa, 5,230; at

Kertfh, 164,300; at Jenits-khe, 300,400; amounting in the

whole to 2,291,745 poods;—in the year 1791, at Perekop,

270,000