Chapter VIII: On the Russian Army

Large proportion of Russian population in the army—Military
organization—Peaceable natural disposition of Russian
people—Strong feelings when roused—Obedience to
orders—Anecdotes—Commercial disposition of the Russian
people—Their wish to mix with European nations—Education checked
by the Government—Military system of Peter the Great—His great
objects—Faults of our Government with respect to Russian
policy—The army, whence recruited—Great Russians—Poles—Little
Russians—Finns, Jews, &c.—Name “Ruski” or Russian—Its origin—The
conscription—Soldiers’ marriages—The Cantonists—Emperor’s
efforts to improve condition of common soldier generally
unsuccessful—Corporal punishment—Labour—“Indefinite
leave”—Division of empire for conscription—Amount of
population per cent. taken from 1840-1855—Expense of the
Russian soldier—Democratic system of army—The cross of St.
George—Classification of Russian army—Into 1st, Corps d’Armée, or
complete armies—2nd, Local Regular Troops—3rd, Irregulars—Don,
Black Sea, and Ural Cossacks—Value and number of Cossack
troops—Various Asiatic irregulars—General observations 96

CHAPTER IX.

INKERMAN, MANGOUP, AND THE HILLY COUNTRY OF THE CRIMEA.

The Bay of Sevastopol to Inkerman—Aktiar—Inkerman
Castle—Its history—Crypts—Fuller’s earth, or natural
soap—Tchorgouna—Tchouli, residence of Pallas—Crypts at
Karakoba—Mount Aithodor—Mangoup—Description and history—Gothic
architecture—Position of Mangoup—Interesting character of
surrounding country—The Tchatyr-Dagh and the Yailas 137

CHAPTER X.

THE HERACLEOTIC CHERSONESE.

The Heracleotic Chersonese—Origin of name—Defended by a
wall—Kherson—Its history and remains—House of Lamachus—The
predecessors of Vladimir and their relations with
Constantinople—Account of the siege by Vladimir, taken out of
Nestor—Vladimir’s Baptism—Springs of water—Kherson destroyed by
Lithuanians—The bays between Sevastopol and Cape Chersonese—Cape
Partheniké—The Tauric Diana—The monastery of St. George—Bustards
on the Chersonese 148

CHAPTER XI.

ON THE ANCIENT INHABITANTS OF THE CRIMEA.

The Cimmerii—The Tauri—Connexion of Greece with the Black
Sea—Digression on the Crypts of the Crimea—B.C. 600: the
Scythians—The Greek colonies, B.C. 650—Milesian emigration—Dorian
emigration—Trade of these early times—Mithridates, reigned
B.C. 120-63—A.D. 62: The Alans—A.D. 100-200: The Goths—A.D.
376: The Huns—Second attack of the Huns—Justinian reigned,
A.D. 527-565—A.D. 679: The Khazars—A.D. 900-1000: The
Petchenegues—About 1204: The Comans—1226: The Tatars—The
Genoese—1473: Kaffa taken by the Turks—The Black Sea then shut up
to European nations—Mixture of races in present inhabitants of
Crimea 166

CHAPTER XII.

BALACLAVA AND VALLEY OF BAIDAR.

Balaclava—Karl Ritter’s views of the importance of
the Black Sea in very early times—Homer’s account of
Balaclava—The Cembalo of the Genoese—Tatar occupation of
it—Arnaouts—Tchorgouna—Mackenzie’s Farm—Valley of Baidar—Manners
of the Tatars—Woronzof road 182

CHAPTER XIII.

THE SOUTHERN COAST, AS FAR AS ALOUCHTA.

Pass of Phoros—First view of the Southern Coast—The
climate—Valley of Laspi—Mount Aia, or Cape Saritch—Modern
Laspi—Phoros to Kíkineis—Land slips—Liméne—Singular
appearance of Tatars—Aloupka—Prince Woronzof’s
palace—Gardens—Luxuriant vegetation—Craters—Account
of Prince Woronzof—Miskhor—Koureis, seat of Princess
Galitzin—Madame de Krudener and Comtesse Lamothe—Gaspra—Mount
A’ithodor—Imperial Oriánda—Ouchansóu—Yalta—The
mountain pass to Baktchéserai—Marsánda—Cyclopean
remains—Magaratch—Nikita—Botanical gardens—St.
Daniel—Oursouf—Ancient castle of Justinian—Cyclopean
remains—Mount Aioudágh, the ancient Kriumetôpon Prom—Village of
Partheníte—Great and Little Lambat—The Chaos—Numberless ancient
remains—The pass of Mount Castéle—The descent to Alouchta 197

CHAPTER XIV.

THE EASTERN COAST AND SOUDAK.

Alouchta—The Eastern and Western Coasts—Oulou Ouzéne,
the property of Mrs. Lang—Mdlle. Jacquemart—The Bay of
Soudak—Ruins of the triple fortress—The Kiz Koullé, or Girl’s
Tower—Ancient Soldaya—Its history—Remains—Vandalism of the
Russians—Ruined barracks—The Crimean Wine Company—The wines of
the Crimea—Prices of land in the Crimea—Road to Theodosia—Tatar
hospitality—Koktebel 220

CHAPTER XV.

FROM ALOUCHTA TO SIMPHERÓPOL, KARASOUBAZAR,
ESKI KRIM, AND THEODOSIA.

Valley of Alouchta—Obelisk—Valley of the Angar—Tavshan
Bazar—Fortified Gorge—Yenisála, a Greek Colony—Aian and the
source of the Salghír—Ascent of the Tchatyr-Dagh—Yaila—Snow
reservoirs—From Tchafki to Simpherópol—Excursion up valley
of Little Salghír to caves of Kisilkoba—Caverns—Simpherópol
to Karasóubazar—The Shireen family—Eski Krim—Theodosia, or
Kaffa—B.C. 700, Theodosia founded by Milesians—A.D. 250,
totally destroyed by the Huns—Desert for 1000 years—A.D. 1280,
Kaffa founded by Genoese on site of Theodosia—Short history of
it—A.D. 1475, taken by Turks—Its decline—Revival in seventeenth
century—1781, taken by Russians—Description of ruins—Their
destruction by the Russians—Position of Kaffa in commercial point
of view—Arabat—The wall of Asander—The approach to Kertch 236

CHAPTER XVI.

KERTCH.

Approach to Kertch—The Cimmerian Bosphorus—Russian conquest of
Kertch in 1771—Its rise since 1833—Its chance of becoming the
emporium of trade for the Sea of Azof—Russian authorities—Ancient
church—Kertch, the ancient Panticapæum—Acropolis—Arm-chair of
Mithridates—Allée of Tumuli on Theodosian road—The Tumulus a
sign of Milesian occupation—Contents of Tumuli on Theodosian
road—Etruscan vases at Kertch—Burial-places of the poor—Tomb
of the Pigmies—The Catacombs—The Tombs of the Kings—The
Golden Mountain—The rich discoveries at Kouloba—Description
of the contents of the Tomb—Pillaged by the people—Probably
that of Leucon I., or Paerisádes I.—The Museum—Myrmékium—Mud
volcanoes—Naphtha springs—Cape Akboroun—Nymphæum—Herring
fishery—Opouk, the ancient Kimmericum 255

CHAPTER XVII.

THE SEA OF AZOF.

The Sea of Azof—Its extent and boundaries—Its depth
continually diminishes—Its sweet water—Its rivers—Currents—The
Straits of Kertch—The Russian defences of it—The eastern
shores—Temróuk—Okhtor—Cape Obriv—The fishing-huts—Bay and new
town of Yeisk—Cape Tchimborsk—Mouths of Don—Bars of the Don—Old
town of Azof—Rostof—Its commercial importance—Shallowness
of water in Gulf of the Don—The Azof frozen in winter—Ruins
of ancient Tana—Taganrok founded by Peter the Great—Its
history—Its importance—Mariopol—Cape Bielo-Serái—Berdiansk—Its
foundation—Port is filling up—Lake Moloshenska—Peninsula of
Berútchi—Straits of Yénitchi 299

CHAPTER XVIII.

ON THE COMMERCE OF THE SEA OF AZOF.

Rostof, key to commercial system—A district of the Government
of Ekaterinoslaf—Its gradual rise since 1835—Articles of
export—Wheat—Linseed—Rye—Military stores sent by the Azof
to Sevastopol, &c.—Iron foundries of Lugan—Tallow—Breeds of
cattle—System of advances—Agencies of foreign merchants, chiefly
at Pavlosk—Advantages of Free Trade—Passage of goods by the Don
and the Volga—Dubofka and Katchálin—Hardships of the military
system—Intelligence of Russian merchants—True policy of Russia 312

APPENDIX.

(A.) List of the Russian Naval Force in the Black Sea, Jan. 1853 337

(B.) Suvórof’s Discourse under the Trigger 340

(C.) The Timber Trade of Northern and Southern Russia 346

(D.) Commerce of Ports of Crimea 350

(E.) On the advantage of establishing a Free Port on the Danube
at the St. George’s Mouth of the river 354

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE CRIMEA, AND THE SHORES OF THE SEA OF AZOF.