OF THE CRIMEA.

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of the Dniepr, and forms a bed füll of cliffs, is the fame whichproceeds from the regions between the Berda and Molofhna;paffes along the old line, and the Konflcaya, through theDniepr; and crofles the Ingul at Elizabeth, and the Bug atSokoly; being perceived as far as the diftridt of Tumbaflar,or Dubaflär, on the banks of the Dnieftr; where it verydiftindtly appears as part of the Carpathian mountains. It ishighly probable, that this bed of granite would, at fome futureperiod, difcover a valuable ore, if proper perfons were com-miflioned to examine it with accuracy.

On the 25th of July, although the heat was almoft infup-portable, I proceeded on my journey from Kherfon, overgently rifing fteppes, through Byela-Tzerkov, or WhiteChurch, twenty verfts; then to Kopenka (fifteen verfts), whereall the water was evaporated ; and arrived, in the night, atNicolaef, which lies thirty verfts farther.

Nicolaef would become one of the handfomeft and finefttowns of the empire, if the erection and embellifhment of itwere continued with the fame fpirit, with which they werecommenced. So late as the year 1791, the building of thisplace was firft undertaken on a defert fpot. In the year 1792,Mikhailo Leontievitfh Faleeyef, who was commiffioned byPrince Potemkin to form the plan of the town, erectedupwards of four hundred and fifty houfes. In the followingyear, fcarcely any progrefs was made; but, in 1794, by theactivity of Admiral Nicolas Semenovitfti Mordvinof, the nura-ber of dwellings had already increafed to feven hundred; andthe town gradually became more extenfive, as the Admiraltywas removed hither from Kherfon.

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