SECOND EXCURSION TO THE 
inclosures for the shepherds, or to construct the 
Tahtar dwellings. The parts which remain are 
sufficient to prove the artificial nature of the 
work ; as the stones are not natural to the soil, 
but foreign substances, evidently brought for the 
purpose of fortifying the rampart. Having 
determined the reality and the position of this 
wall, we resolved not to lose time in further 
examination of the territory here ; but ascended 
the steep mountains upon the coast towards 
the west, to visit the stupendous cape, called, by 
the Tahtars, At A Bvrvn, or the Holy Promontory, 
lying between Balaclava and the Monastery of 
St. George. The Parthenium of Strabo was 
within the Heracleotic Chersonesus, as the plain 
text of that author undoubtedly demonstrates : 
and, if there be a spot well calculated for the 
terrible rites said to have been celebrated in 
honour of the Taurican Diana, as well as for the 
agreement of its position with the distance of 
the Parthenium from the city of Chersonesus., it is 
the Ai a Bvrvn : indeed there is something in its 
present appellation which coincides with the 
antient sanctity of the Parthenian Promon- 
tory. Pallas appears subsequently to have 
admitted their identity 1 ; but at the time of our 
visit to this place, he was not decided in his 
(l) See Pallas ’ s Travels, vol. II. p. 63. 
