104 
extraordinary events took place at the hill 
situated on the northern isthmus; which, 
across the bay, is only twelve versts distant 
from Taman, but sixty versts by the cireuit- 
ous road over land. First) a rastling in the 
air was perceived, with avery violent gust 
of wind, that did not continue above a mi- 
nute; and then a noise, resembling thun- 
der, was heard from the hill: soon after, a 
column of black thick smoke burst forth from 
its summit, and was succeeded in about a 
minute by another of violent flame, which 
at that distance appeared to be at least fifty 
fathoms high, and thirty in cireumiference. 
This flame continued from a little after half 
past eight till within 10 minutes of 10 o'clock 
An express was dispatched, as soon as the 
flame, the vapour, and the noise had appa- 
rently subsided; but he returned with an 
account, that the hill had rent, and presented 
an opening, tlie extent of which could not 
be ascertained; as every access to it was ren- 
dered impossible, by the sudden aud suc- 
cessive streams of hot mud that overflowed 
it in every direction, and were soinctimes 
accompanied with flames and smoke. The 
eruption, however, was not attended with 
any shocks of an earthquake. 
«© According to the collected testimonies 
of persons, who witnessed the awful scene 
fie Taman and Yenikalé, and who visited 
the mountain immediately after the eruption, 
it Commencéd with a noise resembling a peal 
of thunder, both in its strength and dura- 
tion. Prior to, and for some time afier the 
report, the inhabitants perceived a whistling 
and rustling in the air. A white vapour 
ascended during the explosion, and was sue- 
ceeded by a black sooty smoke, through which 
appeared a column of red and pale-vellow 
flame, rising in a perpendicular line to dou- 
ble the height of the mountain, and spread- 
ing on the top not unlike a sheaf of corn; 
though a’ considerable wind agitated the at- 
mosphere. ‘The column of fire was visible 
for about twenty-five minutes, when it gra- 
dually vanished, but the smoke continued 
from four to five hours ; dispersing itself in 
thick heavy clouds on both sides, which also 
subsided on the following day. During the 
first explosion, the hill threw up quantities 
of nrad into the air, and scattered it about 
in every direction to the distance of a verst. 
The gieat mass of mud proceeded from the 
gclf, or crater, by raising and removing the. 
argillaceous earth from the surface, which 
at that time was frozen to the depth of seven 
feet. At first it owed rapidly, then gradu- 
ally slower, on all sides of «he hill; and, 
according to the information of credible wit- 
nesses; who, a few hours after the eruption, 
rode thither from the farm, it was not per- 
éeptibly warm, though a thick vapour arose 
from it, owing to the cold state of the at- 
mosphere. Some Kozaks, dispatched to the 
lace, on tHe contrary, assert that the nud, 
when first disgorged, was hot. The con- 
fused whistlmy, and bubbling noise were 
‘ 
VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. 
heard till a late honr of the night; and the 
mittd was forced ont sometimes to the height 
of twelve feet, even un the third day.” 
The ejected mud was of adeep blue co« 
lour and viscous consistence, containing’ 
in mainy places brilliant enbic erystals of 
pytites: in the course of the summer, 
it became hard enough to bear the weight 
of a man, at which time the crater was. 
upwards of twelve feet in diameter, and 
a noise was distinetly heard from its 
bottom, similar to the boiling of a large 
covered kettle. In order to account for 
these eruptions, the professor supposes,, 
with high probability, 
«¢ That, at a considerable depth under the 
island of Taman, as also beneath part of the 
peninsula of Kertsh, there is a stratum of 
coal or bitumitrous schistus tn a state of slow 
combustion ; and that, in consequence of 
the discharges which happen so Feqnandy 
and in so many places, the sea breaks im, 
and forms bays in the hollows, that have 
become extinct: henee are generated various. 
kinds of vapours and gases, which by their 
elasticity force themselves through the clefts, 
of the superincumbent sfraté, or through 
old craters ; or, where they meet with less, 
resistance, make theie way upwards with a 
loud report; and thiis give rise to all the 
phenomena before mentioned, and 2tso ta, 
transient inflammations of hydrogen gas, 
on the accession. of external air. As soon 
as the force of the vapours, which supported 
the stratum incumbent on the burning layer, 
has subsided, in. consequence of having found 
a vent, the fragments of this shattered hori- 
zontal stratum fall in suecession, and by 
their pressure discharge the mud, consisting 
of ashes and sea-water, at first with rapidity, 
but afterwards more slowly, through the 
newly fermed apertures. [lence we may 
account for the saline nature of this mud,. 
which still rises with bubbles of vapour, as. 
also for the roots of sedge, which have in 
some cases been carried by the sea-water- 
into these subterrancous cavities and mingled 
with the mud; and, lastly, for the frag- 
ments of various fossils, through the super- 
incumbent strata of which the vapours have. 
forced their way.” ‘ 
The latter part of this interesting vo-. 
lume consists of general remarks on the 
Crimea, in which the reader will find 
much entertainment; as well as imstruc- 
tion. 
The principal inhabitants of the Cri- 
mea are Tartars, the descendants of 
those Mongols who formed the army of 
Tshingis-Khan; in some districts they 
remain pure and unmixed, exhibiting 
the characteristic Tartar features, and 
retaining most of their old customs: for 
