However remarkable these caverns, they are scarcely worth the trouble that is undeigone to reach them, with such a place as T^p^-Kerman, ' castle on the hill,' within a short distance.' To arrive at it, the valley of Katcha is quitted at Shoury, when a ride over broken ground up the rocky valley of Syrbey, where tiie jurtiper alone seems to thrive, brings the enthusiast to the most perfect and varied of crypts in the peninsula. They appear to be most numerous, and more roughly excavated, at the south eide of the rocky summit, the largest and those prepared with the greatest r^ard to comfort being on the west side, where they are seen in tiers, intercommunication being ensured by steps heuTi on the exterior surface of the rock; all have recesses, niches, reclining places, and bins, economy of space having been evidently studied in their distribution.
We entered a chapel, the original disposition of which, however, it is difficult to determine. On its north side, where the rock has partly fallen away, are two shallow recesses, a cross in relief being in one, and in the other an inscription of which the first few letters only are legible \ BTti\,r~. Another inscription, also' in painted letters commenced thus: +60'' the remainder has peeled olt Immediately in front of this chapel, are four pits in the rock filled with human bones.
Dubois gives a description in detail of a crypt chapel on the ' Other cTTpts aru ai Mangoush to the noith-enst of BaghtdiuaisL
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HINT TO COLLECTORS. a 17
north-east side, which I was unable to discover. He represents the difficulty of Ending it in these words; 'un heureux hasard peut seul faire d^couvrir cet antre sacr£ qui ne se distingue en rien, i rextirieur, de la foule de ceux qui I'entourent."
From T^pfe-Kerman, we crossed the Syrbey-derfe to the valley of Jehoshaphat, skirting the Karalm cemetery, and at 6.30 P.M. we re-entered the Tatar capital.
To rise early had become a habit, and when we strolled into the town at five in the morning, we found the stalls open, the kaJtwas and fruiterers being certainly the best attended by loitering customers. Shysklyk is the never-failing dish in a Tatar town, for which we were always charged one rouble, whether sufficient were ordered for one or more persons; and when the abstemious and sedate Mussulmans who chanced to be present, saw the havoc committed by hard-worked and hungry travellers such as we were, they rested their pipes from time to time in mute astonishment, to throw significant glances at each other, and then converse in whispers.
Collectors should look in at the little silversmiths' shops about the town, and go to the cottage, near the palace, of the chief molla, who shows his good taste in the old arms, jewellery, antique silver cups and ornaments, he picks up in his wanderings. At the bazaars, the black lamb-skins are to be purchased at a very moderate price.
At 7 A.M. we left for Sevast6poI, passing out at the simple gate erected to commemorate the visit of the Empress Catherine. The road was well guarded durir^ the late war by the Russians, who had camps at Douvankot on the plain beyond Asis, and on the heights above the right bank of the Tch6maya retchka past
< Dubois, vi. p. 313.
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Kamyshly; but for such reminiscences this road is remarkably uninteresting and dreaiy, except where it traverses the valleys of the Katcha and Belbeck. We went over the traktyr bridge,' and alighted at the hotel at Sevastopol under the five hours.'
Our first duty was to hurrj* to a Russian bath-house for the needed 'scouring' after a lengthened campii^ out, ar.d I then called upon Admiral Popoff the inventor of the circular monitor, whose vessel, the Novgorod, was lying in the harbour. I had the pleasure of lunching on board with the gallant officer, who explained, with full confidence in their merits, the advantages of fa!s system for coast defence.
The Novgorod was fitted out in the early part of 1874, having cost 2,500,000 roubles. Her measurements, armaments, &c., are as follows: —
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„ they can be worked up to. 3000 „ „ (indicated)
Diameter or vessel 101 ft.
Draught of water...... 13 ft 3 in.
Freeboard I (t 6 in.
Armour Ii in.
Deck plates....... ij in.
Open turret armament; diameter of turret 30 ft., height 8 ft. Two 38 tons, Ii in. steet gum, that can be lired at the same time.