516 
TERRITORY OF RUSSIA 
large masses with incredible velocity; and during the clear 
moonshine nights of November and December, a bright blue 
light is observed at times to cover the whole western range.” 
Jonas Hanway, besides giving a very similar account of the 
igneous phenomena at Bakou, subjoins an interesting extract 
connected with it, which he took from the journal of Prince 
Galitzen, ambassador from the court of Russia to Nadir Shah; 
and which, as it still farther describes the coast of the Caspian 
now in possession of the Emperor, I shall also add here. 
“ On the fourth of January 1747, (he proceeds to say,) having 
crossed the rivers Urbas and Samur, on the western shore of 
the Caspian, we arrived at a caravansary, from whence are seen 
the remains of some old walls running out into the sea; and 
near to it projects the Peak of Perschparmak, in the form of a 
man’s hand. Some of our company made an excursion to the 
foot of the peak ; and thence ascended, by a steep hill, to a fort, 
which has a battlement round it of hewn stone. It runs up 
the south side of the rock till it forms the summit of a high 
precipice, the bottom of which the hazy weather would not 
permit us to discover. There are several square holes, as if 
intended for throwing down stones, and an arched vault, of 
which part is broken in. From thence we climbed about thirty 
fathoms to the top of the peak. It makes nearly a semi-circle, 
round which we observed the remains of a wall. On the south 
side there are above a hundred stone steps, by which we 
descended, and found a small square platform surrounded with 
a wall of about twelve feet on each side; then going on north¬ 
ward, we saw nothing but a precipice till the clouds beneath 
intercepted our sight, though the sky above us was serene. We 
then passed between an opening in the rock on the western side, 
