Demoine courier., 1854-11-16
THE CRIMEi.

. ~ 4 Nho' 10 u iCiij7hlh VI bSulIN
the size OF Sicily, baihed on one side by
the Black Sea, on the other by the sea
Of Azof, and extending thirty five leagues
from north TO south, or from Precop 10
Cape Sariisch, and fifty leagues from
Cape karan-R oum on the Black Sea TO
thai Of JenIkale, on the sea Of Azof, com
prising IN this breadth the eastern part
of lhe Crimea, called the peninsula of
Kertsche, The CIimed is united to
Russia only by the narrow isthmus Of
Procop. a quarter of a league in breadth.
This islhmus has been trayersed from
very ancient times by a wide and deep
CIs:h, bordered by a strong wall. A Cit
cular braucl, of this wall e~ncloses the
rampat's OF Procop, a very strong place,
where the Tartars sustained two memo,
rab!e sieges against the Russians, who
finally obtained possession Of the place
under the reign Of Catherine III. The
Notifications are still standing, but the
~depupulated city does rot contain more
thar three or four thousand inhabitants.
The southern portion Of the Crimea,
comprising about one-third, is mountain
Gus. This section offers admirable sites,
fertile valleys, and a delicious climate -
The remaining two thirds are q continua
non o1 ibe Immense s'eppes which ron
stitu'es almost the whole Of Southern
Russia, rom Odessa 10 beyond Astra.
kan. In the Crimea, some parts OF the
steppe are covered with a dense heritage,
and The soil IS suited 10 The growth of
~cereaIs, wherever there are Inhabitants 10
I'LL II. In other parts, the heritage is
rare and s'unted, presenting only a kind
OF down: in others still, the soil is covered
with a sort Of down and gravel, which
renders il wholly unfit for tiilage.
The winters OF this region are very
rigorous on account Of the icy winds
from the north Of Asia. During the
summer, the s,erpe is parched by the
heat: vegetation Is everywhere withtred.
the tew watercourses are dried up, and
the travellec sees no shade as far as the
eye eau reach.
On passing from the steppe TO The
mountainous region, one is struck by the
unexpected contrasts Of its aspects, es.
pecially as he descends towards the sea.
There, smiii:g and picturesque valleys
offerlandscapes, which may be compared
with the most charming valleys of Swift.
zerlaad, and which possess the advantage
CT mild climate.
Upon The southern descent Of The noun
taIns, sheltered from the wasting winds
ct The north. the country assumes an en-
chanting character. Here all the va
rieties OF fruit trees which are known to
US, produce fruits of excelIen, quality. =
Here trees flourish which belong only TO
The south of Europe, such as The laurel,
the olive, the fig, the aloes, and even The
cactus rdgueIe. a. ~ t
These thirty leagues of coas, are the
finest of all the conqucsls of the Russians
In the south Of their empire; and the ONLY
region which offers q really temperate
climate. This coast may be compared
to those of Nice, and OF The department,
OF the Var. The learned professor Pal.
lis, 10 whom the empress Calharine
gave, in recompense for his labols, an
estate in the Crimea, where he ended
his days, thus describes the beauty of
these sites, which he had constantly IN
view:
.ln these beautiful valleys, fruit trees
OF every kind are the most common Of
the forest, or rather the forest is but a
garden, left 10 itself. Vines. wild or
cultivated. climb to the tops Of the high,
es. trees, forming natural bowers and
~garlands. The union of this beautiful
verdure with the wild aspec, which the
rocks everywhere present, the fountains
and The cascades which murmur on oil
sides; in fine, the views of the sea with
its boundless distances, render these val
leys the most picturesque and charming
which the fancy can picture"
All the cities Of this coast, Aloupka,
Yalia, Aloulscha, &C., are embellished
with cottages. cha,leaux, and parks,
where the Russian mobiles and the rich
merchants come 10 pass the belle soison
happy TO quit The burning rocks of Sc.
vastopol. The sieppes of Odessa, of Cher
son, or koubau, and 10 find shades, living
fountains and rare fruits.
Steamboats, transport them yearly 10
these shores. The greater parl OF the
beautiful pleasure houses belong 10 The
merchants of Odessa, who will suffer
grea, priva,ions during the war by being
compelled to pass their summer in the
miJst OF whirlwinds of dust, which The
winds Of the stePpe drive increasingly
into this gteatcity. . .r.r..
Seyaslopol is not in this fortunate re.
glon, althoLghnot very far from it. The
chain of mountains falls of towards The
west, in The direction of Sevasropol, and
presents only hills and eight elevations.
Sevastopol, is not, therefore, sheltered
like the southern coast. The cold is,
however, less severe than in The centre
of the Crimea, and the por. does not
freeze in winter like that Of Odessa.
"PHEBUs, WHAT A NAME!'-Tunis