The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25

There seemed. for Instance, to be . scarcity of
vistas taking advantage Of the opportunity Of
looking out upon the adjoining sea- 1t was a
case OF magnitude, but not Of high art
There arc several other famous estates In
the vicinity, one or two Of them belonging TO
members OF the imperial family. but we did not
attempt to visit them and finally. having ex-
hausted the interest Of the shops in Yalta, and
that II saying n good deal. we left the Crimea
and its delightful climate one pleasant evening
on n most excellent Russian ship, whose final
destination was Batoum, the last Russian port
At the eastern extremity OF the Black Sea.
On the way we stopped first at Kertch. the
ancient Panticap1um at the entrance to the
Straits Of Ienikale and tho Sea Of Azon. II Is n
very pleasant place, with thirty odd thousand
inhabitants and an important trade. especially
In salt. The most interesting object here is the
so-called tomb Of Mithridates VII. or Mithr-
dates tine Great, next to Hannibal perhaps the
most energetic and lreconcilable foe Of ancient
Rome. His tomb In n rather rococo struc-
ture on the summit Of a hill which over
looks the city and the hArbor. Excavations
from the mounds about IL, and elsewheren near
the city, have contributed TO the Imperial
Museum In ST. Petersburg and TO the Brit
ish Museum in London a quantity OF gold
ornaments which compel attention even among
the manifold treasures Of those rich and
most instructive collections OF antiquities. The
share Of the British Museum was sent there by
Major WcatmaCott Of the British army. after
tho allies had captured Kcrtch in ls55. dur
ing the operations OF the Crimcan war.
We were able to drive nearly to the sum-
nit Of the hill and to examine closely the an
cicnt tomb. We found. however. that the ter
ritory surrounding 1t was still frcquented by n
number OF amateur ,Ncavators, who, with long
iron hooks. poke In the gravel to find antiquities
that have escaped previous efforts. From one
OF these I bought for n few kopecks three or four
little terra Gotta Images, which the seller as
surcd me had been dug out on the spot; but.
on careful examination, ! found they had been
made in Italy for sale as specimens OF prehistoric
art. We aino visited the Museum in one OF
the streets near the water, but saw there
nothing very impressive, the really val.
liable objects having long since been taken
away. But the view from the summit
Of IN" III was superb. and we greatly
enjoy I,r afternoons stroll around the old
tomb and DOWN through tho streets OF the town.
We saw plenty OF shops for the sale OF antiquities.
all well provided with limitations OF molcrn
manufacture; but IL was impossible TO gaze
from the summit OF the hill over the vast
country to the north and west without longing
to break into ONE OF the many largo kourponS,
or burial mounds Of regular conical form, which
dot the landscape in almost every direction.
mentioned this to an expert upon our steamer,
and he agreed with me as 20 the desire. but
added that experience shows that where It is
~gratifed the effort almost always results in dis
appointment. Most OF these mounds, he said,
are merely the graves OF noted individuals OF pre-.
historic times. In the centre Of the large ones
is usually found a skeleton horse standing with a
skeleton man on his back. This was a favorite
mode of burial for the old Cimmerian chieftains.
and very rarely, almost never In fact, are orna.
ments OF precious metals found among the relics;
while the remains Of pottery are usually OF no
value and OF quite trifing interest.
We left the roadstead OF Kertch before sun.
down. and the next morning found ourselves at
on the shores bearing evidence of the immense
manufacturing and commercial activity which
marks the business towns of modern Russin-
railway lends hence ~nor,hvardIv N Rostoy on
tbc Don Now hu;Idinoe so.uad N ho min. ,or
nara o,ory,bo-o .n5 a. n...oL,u, an.
,,hioh nsooraras ,ha -
80 ca,sos. -,
,"""H "'A ""s VI Nv
'ie pace III IA "ofiu' was e'iuehuI III iui
40" Nv" N'Pe s'ns the ktea'
- D"n
- ~ enc 'rou's a'u
INV h"'' "a. IL y uas'
oui heN' stoppihe piace "asa' "oukhourhkaie'
ana me next At fot' at the mouth OF the river
zion, likewise a place OF extreme activity, with
n branch OF the Trans-Caucasian railway eS-
tending as far as kutais, on the way TO Tifis
and the Caspian. The Ition is the ancient Phasis,
and hither tho Argonauts came seeking the
Golden Fleece, and hence they returned after
they had got il The lov-Iving maIarious. looL-
;ny shores md tbc ,urbulert r;rer swolIo, ~
eroruors ex,.nt hv Tho s,-i,r ,rosha,s 49,, a.
norn,ains irs,ieoa 49, 5oaa.a 49,.
pow
And reached a river opening into It,
Across the which the white.w 'nged fowl did nit
From clin to cliff, and on the sandy bar
The fresh waves and the salt waves were at war
At turning OF the tide"
Now swift beneath the oar strokes Argo few,
While the sun rose behind them, and they drew
Unto the rivers mouth. nor failed to sec
Ahsyrtus' galley waiting watchfully
Betwixt Them and the white-tipped turb'd bar.
ne,e,ols .nsy go c ready no" tor war
VIZ u u bnuTp inc AnlUeQ the sea