112 
A RAMBLE AMONG THE CRIM TARTARS. 
[Naturfe and Art., September 1, 1866. 
around them, pai'tly composed of stones from the 
original structure. In the neighbourhood of Ourzouf 
there are ruins of the most interesting and exten- 
sive character, probably the most ancient in this 
land of antiquity. Huge piles of massive stones, 
uncemented, are heaped together, forming walls of 
immense thickness and strength, dating far beyond 
the Byzantine, Greek, or Genoese periods ; and 
there can be little doubt but that the Tauro- 
Scythians were the people who reared them. Below 
these ancient remains stands the village of Par- 
thenite ; and it has been supposed, not without 
good reason and reliable authority, that the adjacent 
promontory of Aioudagh — the Kriumetopon, or 
“ram-face” — was the true site of the temple of 
Iphigenia, and the locality in which her cruel 
and merciless rites were celebrated, and the spot 
on which Orestes and Pylades appeared to the 
goddess, who, with eagle eye, scanned the distant 
horizon in search of the white sail or tapering mast 
of the wandering bark destined to furnish fresh 
victims to the sacrifice, and to add more white 
bones to those already strewn beneath the giddy 
crags from which the hapless captive was hurled. 
Strabo says, in speaking of this promontory, “Far 
along the Tauric coast there detaches itself into the 
sea a promontory which looks towards Kriume- 
topon ; opposite to it corresponds Cape Carambis, in 
Paphlagonia ; and they divide the Euxine Sea into 
two parts.” At Kriumetopon, says Scymnus,' 1 ' ar- 
rived Iphigenia, when she disappeared from Aulis. 
The Tauri abound here, and their numerous tribes 
lead a wandering life in the mountains. Barbarians 
in their cruelties and murders, they adore a divinity 
which resembles them in its impious crimes.” 
It is much to be regretted that excavations have 
not been made in a neighbourhood so rich in anti- 
quarian associations ; and there can be no doubt 
but that most important discoveries might be made, 
and much light thrown, by the investigation, on 
passages of ancient history which are now obscure. 
We would willingly linger longer on such classic 
ground, but it cannot be. The sun is no longer 
over head, but warns us by the lengthening shadows 
that we must reti’ace our steps to Yalta, and our 
good horse, whose brown nose has been some time 
in the mysterious depths of a well-filled corn-bag, 
raises no objection ; so we start at a brisk trot, and 
reach the Hotel d’Odessain the cool of the evening. 
The steamer to Odessa is just leaving harbour, and 
things are somewhat more lively than in the morn- 
ing ; still, no one appears in the least hurry, and a 
very rough and wild-looking subject of the Tzar had 
established a stall for the sale of hot tea in the very 
centre of the high road leading to the pier, his 
somovar giving otf steam and smoke enough for a 
small locomotive engine. Ivan the tea-seller deals 
in spoons cut from willow-wood, as well as tea, 
slices his lemons (of which he has a net full) with a 
knife large enough to take high rank amongst 
swords, and smokes vile tobacco from a carved root. 
As the steamer puffs, smokes, and paddles out to 
* Scymnus of Chio, b.c. 100. See Hudson, Geo. Min. 
sea, we return to the hotel, where we find our trusty 
purveyor, with his mule laden, and ready to start. 
A plethoric sack of barley and two baskets com- 
pleted the load : one basket contained sundry bottles 
of vodka tightly wedged in with lemons, the other 
several dozen eggs packed in hay, whilst a loaf of 
Russian bread, about a yard and a half long, was 
lashed fast to the handles. Thus fortified, we 
marched triumphantly out of Yalta, catching a 
parting glance of the egrets, who were standing 
knee-deep in the brook, watching for fish ; and 
seeing them so intent on their evening occupation 
set us thinking, and we resolved to diverge from 
our path, pay a visit to the fish-pounds, find a big- 
booted Zebedee, and lay out another tenpence, 
in a tui'bot of tea-tray pattern. So the hard road 
was soon exchanged for the green sward, and then 
the soft sand of the beach, along which we bent our 
way until, in a snug cove beneath the sheltering cliff, 
we came on a party of the very fellows we were in 
search of, repairing the walls of their fish-enclosure. 
A few minutes sufficed to explain the nature of 
our requirements, and, displaying the silver talisman, 
one of our fish-hunting friends shouldered a paddle 
and went wading and floundering about amongst 
the terrified turbots, sending them darting liei’e 
and there in every direction, until gradually nearing 
the shore, the flat blade of the oar was dex- 
terously shot under a splendid fellow, and out he 
came, flapping his wet tail at our very feet, and 
sending tire sand flying. This was conduct not to 
be tolerated by the fishermen, who rapped him on 
the head in an admonitory manner until he was 
quite orderly, when, with pieces of twine and a bit 
of rope, our prize was attached to the corn-sack, 
our tenpence cheerfully paid, and we were soon on 
the green turf again, homeward bound, thinking 
wliat a capital day’s work we had done, when, 
alas for the mutability of human affairs, the fish’s 
tail got loose ; and with the freedom of the tail the 
taps on the head lost all their effect ; the rope 
became slack ; down came the fish under the mule’s 
belly, against which he delivered a whole shower 
of smacks and flaps. In one minute all was frantic 
confusion • with a shrill scream of rage and terror 
the mule sent his heels in the air, and, with his 
head between his fore legs, sent the sack and baskets 
flying ; lemons scattered broadcast over the plain ; 
long loaf broken in two 3 hay and eggs, as if some 
huge bird’s nest had been danced on bottles, lodged 
in the mud, and the wretched fish, the author of 
all this wreck and destruction, at the end of a yard 
of rope, still flapping furiously amongst the spilt corn 
at the mouth of the sack. After much hunting, 
galloping round, and coaxing, our truant mule was 
at last secured, and our scattered treasures gathered 
up. The hard-headed fish was killed in earnest 
this time, and, together with all the corn that could 
be scraped up, placed in the sack and repacked. 
It was dark night before we reached camp, heartily 
tired, and glad to revenge ourselves on our trouble- 
some fish by eating a considerable portion of him 
for supper. Our next excursion will be to the city 
of the ancient Karaite J ews. 
