Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-06-30
The sea OF Aaon.

The Sea of Azoif is 80 miles in length, from
the Straits Of Kertsch to the point Of Bielbserai
al the entrance Of the gulf Of the Don. The
gulf itself is &c miles, making total of l66.
From the extremity OF the Tonka on the west,
10 Beislitskof on the east, it is l42 miles wide,
SO that its width is nearly equal TO its length.
The northern shore of the sea is from 26 TO 40
metres high with hills here and there and red
cliffs 1t is formed of tongues of sand of CON
siderable extent, and bordered with banks on all
the promontories, where, yielding 10 the influence
of the current OF the Don, they are curved to-
wards the west. The eastern shore OF the Sea Of
Azotf is inhabited by the Cossacks of the Black
Sea, From Temruk it is low, often sandy, and
intersected by lagunes and marshes II has nu-
merous sand banks, particularly in the Gulf of
the Don, and they incline to the west like those
on the opposite coast.
The ronka, known also by the name of ''the
Tongue Of Arabat," sort of elongated PENN
sula, narrow AID low, forms the western side Of
the sea, which it separates from the Sivash, the
Sea of Mud or Putrid Sea, an immense lagune
into which some rivers of the Crmca empty
themselves. The Sea of Azoff is bounded on the
south by the C!imea and the Isle of Taman.
Those two countries present to the navigator on
the coast small hills as landmarks from Cape
Cuzandii to Temruck. At present (lS54) the
greatest depth of the Sea Of AZoff is A feet, he
tween the Straits of kertsch and the point of
Bieloserai. Ii is only 26 feet not far from the
Gulf of the Don, and from s TO 10 feet in the
roadstead of Taganrog in the same gulf 1t has
been observed that since the commencement of
the last century, from the year l706 to 1918, the
depth of the Sea Of Azoff has diminished three
feet. Its maximum al this last period (lS08) was
still AZ feet, in 1888 it only As, and in 1850
"A feet. II is evident, then, that--lst, in the
space of 100 years, from zoo to 1908, the dm-
mutton of the waters of this sea has been three
feet; I'd, that in another space of a quarter of a
century the diminution has been two feet; and
Sd, one foot in the short space Of IL years, MAX
ing total of six feet in the course Of 1877 years
It's sand banks increase in extent also, and it is
probable that new ones are in course Of formation,
which will render tho navigation of these waters
extremely difficult.
Indeed, it is probable that few centuries hence
the Sea of Azof will cease to be navigable, I'M
less, what is not likely, some cause shall stay the
progress or the operations now going on. The
bottom of the Sea of AzoT is everywhere mud
and slime, with mixture of shells, generally
black, and reddish towards the eastern coast
The water is thick and turbd, but the Don
freshens it so much that at 20 miles to the west
of Taganrog it is drinkabe Tho peninsula of
herstch does not furnish single streamlet 10
the Sea Of Azoff. The current of the latter is
not SO rapid as ut the Strait Of kerstch. When
the n. Z. wind blows with force it rarely ac-
qulres rapdity of more than a mile an hour;
when this wind fails, and that OF the south springs
up, il generally takes direction which is con-
trary 10 it, but of short duration. The current
of this sea, however, is generally to the west,
from the Don to the point of Beaserai. Its
greatest mass is from that to the south towards
the strait 1t has another part which follows
northern coasts where it meets, between the
points NiZarionon and Beratchi the current
which supplies the Sivash The navigation of
the Sea to Azoif is only open from the end Of
May to October; after this period the ice gene
rally renders il impracticable.