The first thing that attracts the eye after passing a long strip of naked coast is a Russian convent nestled among the rocks, on the spot where stood once the temple of Diana, and where the lovely Iphigenia performed the rites as priestess. The convent did not come into sight till after we had sailed round a promontory, formerly called the " Promontory of the Virgin," where was situated the temple of Orestes ! (who could bear to entertain a doubt of the truth of those delightful fables ?) and after crossing the Bay of Balaklava, we came to the commencement of the lofty range of mountains, and the much-praised " south coast." On the whole, as seen from the sea, this mountain chain is not to be compared either with the Alps on the Italian side, nor with the French part of the PjTenees. It is not sufficiently varied and broken with considerable vallies and ravines, or deep bays, nor covered with such masses of forest, the gray naked rock being everywhere too predominant, except in winter, when the peaks are covered with snow. This, however, applies merely to the wew from the sea, for to the pedestrian, who sees things more closely, and more in detail, there are many exquisitely pictiu-esque points. The bay of Yalta also makes an exception to the general uniformity of the coast, as it runs far up into the land between two lovely thickly wooded vallies. The mountains liere are finely varied in their forms, tlie vallies richly cultivated, and scattered over with Greek and Tartar ^dllages, and country houses ; and down close by the sea, washed by its surf, Ues the pleasant little town of Yalta, — decidedly the prettiest point on the coast, and built on the only spot that could have been chosen for its site. It is now the chief steam-boat station, and the centre of all the commerce of the south coast, although it was only during the summer preceding my isit that it was raised by Count Woronzoff to the rank of a town. The houses are all new, and the whole town has such a pretty toy-like appearance, that it looks just as if it were fit to be given for a plaything to a child at Chi-istmas. There are three inns, a custom-house, a post-house, a little church, a little quay, a harbour about two ells long, two little streets, and a little apothecarj-'s shop.
" Here Me are at Yalta !" said I to my sea-sick Polish friend. " Out ! voila i Ya — Ya — Yalta! Cest hevrtvx ! Maisquelmalheur,quonHe peut pas aborder tout pres ! O Dieu ! Je mourrai en passant le VOTtr
Tlic steamer could not, liowever, go up close to the shore, on accoimt of the bar which crossed the harbour, and we were consequently obliged to go to anchor, and remain knocking about in the odious white stonn till some little boats arrived to set us free. Then came tlie rushing about to secure a place in a boat, and to look after one's goods and chattels ; and then, whilst we ourselves were still staggering like so many drmiken men from the effects of the sea, there were all the little marks of attention that we were bound to show the ladies. At length, our carpet-bags and trimks were tumbled into the boat, and ourselves after them, while our little cockle-shell danced upon the waves like a mermaid in Oberon. The sailors, however, had no compassion for our sufferings, but continued to make all sorts of delays, till we were driven into mutiny, and, seizing the oars ourselves, insisted on being put ashore as quickly as possible. When we reached the quay nothing was to be heard on all sides but curses on the deceitful sea, and protestations against trusting ourselves again to Peter the Great. Some declared they would send for their carriages from Odessa, and go back over the steppes ; others that they would rather be jolted five days in a Russian " Extra post" than submit to this detestable rocking for another four-and-twenty hom's. I felt curious to see whether these resolutions would be better kept than those of Horace's mariner.
On board the steamer I had formed an acquaintance with two young Russians, and as accident threw us into the same boat, and afterwards into the same hotel, I considered that the fates had resolved we should remain together ; so as we had both formed a plan to make the torn of the Crimea in eight days, and return to Odessa by the same vessel that had brought us, we determined to make the journey in company, and set out on the following day. I, for my part, was, however, so impatient to have a peep into Tartary, that I could not wait so long, and accordingly, as soon as I had made my arrangements at the hotel, mounted a little horse, and set off, to spend the rest of the day in the mountains a Tartar Imnting.