248 THROUGH RUSSIA ON A MUSTANG. 



At Bekchiserai, and other neighboring places, were 

 old Tartar tombs and mosques. Both Perekop and 

 Simferopol have Tartar quarters, with mosques and 

 minarets. The latter are neither tall nor conspicuous, 

 however, being completely overshadowed by the 

 splendid Russian churches. It seemed rather rough on 

 the Tartars, too, as showing scant consideration for the 

 religious susceptibilities of a subject people, to find 

 some of the domes of the Orthodox churches orna- 

 mented with devices proclaiming the triumph of the 

 Cross over the Crescent. This sort of thing is flaunted 

 in the face of any Tartar who looks at a Russian 

 church throughout Russia south of Kharkoff. A 

 favorite device is a Cross towering above a Crescent, 

 with Gabriel perched on the top of the Cross blowing 

 his trumpet. 



But there seems to be no friction whatever between 

 the two races, on account of their religious differences; 

 probably owing to the fact that no proselyting is 

 attempted on either side. In many villages of the 

 Crimea, as well as in the provinces of Samara and 

 Kazan on the Volga, one side of the street is Tartar, 

 the other Russian ; and the two rub along together in 

 perfect harmony without actually mixing any more 

 than is necessary for the transaction of business. 



It was in such a village as this that 1 passed the last 

 night on the ride ; a place called Baalbek, about 

 twenty-five versts from Sevastopol. I had been loiter- 

 ing at a Tartar melon garden during the afternoon, and 

 reached Baalbek at dark. The place contained no 

 public accommodation for man and beast traveling in 

 an independent manner, though there was a post- 



