VOYAGE DOWN THE DON, 
notice. A handful of troops, aided only by their 
bayonets, might take possession of it at any 
time. The garrison consists of a few worn-out 
Russian invalids. The works, if such they may 
be called, are abandoned to decay, and they 
are situate below the village; so that, in the 
event of an attack, there are several heights 
which would command them. The village itselt 
stands upon a high ridge, and upon its lower 
extremity is situate the fortress. From the 
heights we had a view of the entrance of the 
Don into the Sea of Azof , and plainly discerned 
the town of Taganrog, across the water. The 
mines of the fortress have been described as 
very extensive, and considerable excavations 
might be observed under the whole of the ram- 
parts ; but no use is now made oi them, and 
indeed the officers of the garrison were ignorant 
for what purpose many of them were originally 
designed. All that remains of the Turkish for- 
tification is a part of a wall, now a mere ruin. 
The inhabitants shewed to us an old rampart 
raised by Peter the Great, upon the opposite 
side of the river, as it was used by him when 
he besieged the place. 
It has been generally supposed that the 
antient city of Tanais existed either upon the site 
of Azof, or in its immediate vicinity : we were 
