article of traffic; to which are likewife brought great numbers of buffaloes, oxen, cows, camels, and fheep, for fale. Near this city flows one of the principal rivers of the Krim, called the Karafu, that is, the Black Water. Of this river they have an opinion in Ruffia, that one part of it flows upwards for feveral verfts together. But this is in fome fort true, not only of the Karafu, but of all the rivers of the Krim that have a ftrong current.The Tartars, who dwell either in the vallies, or on the fides of the mountains, (frequently without confidering whether the place is fupplied with water or not) dig canals either from the fource of the next river, or from that part of it which lies nearest to their particular habitation, about an arfhine in breadth, for their gardens and domeftic use. From these they cut fmaller ones through the villages, to fupply them with water, and not unfrequently to drive a mill. These canals appear, to the imagination of the common people, to run in a contrary direction to the current of the river; and in fact these canals do lie, in many places, for a verst in length, fome fathoms higher than the level of the ftream from whence they are fupplied.

Achmetited, a pretty large city, not far from Bachtfchifarai, now made the capital of all the Krimea, by the regulations of prince Potemkin, in the fummer of last year.

Koflof, formerly a very confiderable trading town, lies on the western fide of the peninfula, in a bay of the Black Sea, which, as well as the found at Keffa, might rather be called a road than a haven. This was the first town the Tartars poffeffed themfelves of on their firft

entrance into the Krim, and estab lifhed a cuftom-house therein, afte the example of the Genoefe, which is now farmed out.

The other remarkable places are, Sudak, which is built on the hills upon the fhore of the Black Sea, at the fouth fide of the peninfula, and is famous for its excellent wine, refembling Champaigne, both in colour and ftrength; Aluschti, on the fame fide, among the hills on the fea-fhore; Baluklava, where there is a fine harbour, and perhaps the only one on the Black Sea, containing ample room for a very good fleet; Inkerman may be noticed for its commodious, though not very large, haven, called Achtiar; and Mangup, the old Cherfonefus ; which were all formerly very flourishing towns, but are now either in ruins, or dwindled into fmall villages,

All these places, fo long as the Genoefe remained mafters of the Krim, were well fortified; but the Tartars, in taking them, demolifhed all the works. While they were under the Turks, they left the fortreffes of Keffa, Kertsch, and Koflof, and built the fort Arabat, on the neck of land between the fea of Azof (or Palus Mæotis) and the Rotten Sea, where Perekop also is.

In Arabat are but few houses; but here the warlike ftores of the khans were kept.-Perekop, called by the Turks Or-kapi, is a fortress of moderate ftrength, ftanding about the middle of the neck of land that joins the peninfula with the continent. This ifthmus, which is at leaft nine verfts broad, is cut through with a wide and deep ditch, lined with ftone, and reaches from the Black to the Rotten Sea. Thiswas formerly kept without water, but now it is filled from both feas. On

decay."

the fortrefs are fome fathom from the road-fide, of which the ruins are only now difcernible, namely, large brick houses, with a number of bomb-fhells and cannon-balls

TACITURNITY, an Apologue, tranf

lated from the French of Abbé
Blanchet; extracted from Tales,
Romances, Apologues, &c. from the
French, in two vols.

T Amadan was a celebrated

kept in the fortrefs. At least three verfts from this is the pretty populous, but miferable, place which was probably the town to which this fort belonged. Near the gate is a cuftom-house, where all imports and exports pay duty.

This peninfula was formerly extremely populous; the number of its inhabitants, in Tartars, Turks, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, and others, amounted to above 200,000 men. Since that, however, the greatest part of the Chriftians have betaken themfelves to the other parts of the Ruffian empire, particularly the government of Azof; and many other inhabitants, particularly Tartars, have gone to Taman and Abchafia; fo that the prefent population of the Krim cannot now be reckoned at more than 50,000 men at most.

The Krim was heretofore divided into 24 kaduliks, or districts, nameİy, Yenikali, Kertfch, Arabat, Efki-krim, Keffa, Karafubafar, Sudak, Achmetfched, Yalof, Bachtfchifarai, Balaklava, Mangup, Inkerman, Koflof, Or, Manfur, Tarkan, Sivafch, Tfchongar, Sarubulat, Barun, Argun, Sidfchugut, and Schirin. Several of thefe diftricts are named after the town or village wherein the murza, their governor,

which ran thus:

The academicians are to think much, write little, and, if possible, Speak lefs.

This was called the Silent Academy, nor was there a fage, in Perfia, who was not ambitious of being admitted a member. Zeb, a famous fage, and author of an excellent little book, entitled, The Gag, heard, in the distant province where he lived, there was a vacancy in the filent academy. Immediately he departed for Amadan, and, arriving, prefented himself at the door of the hall where the academicians were affembled, and fent in the following billet to the prefident:

Zeb, a lover of filence, humbly afks the vacant place.

The billet arrived too late, the vacancy was already fupplied. The academicians were almoft in defpair; they had received, somewhat against their inclinations, a courtier, who had fome wit, and whose light and trifling eloquence had become the admiration of all his court-acquaintances; and this learned body was now reduced to the neceffity of refufing the Sage Zeb, the fcourge of bablers, the perfection of wisdom.

nor knew in which manner best, to perform his office. After a moment's reflection he ordered a flagon to be filled with water, and fo full that another drop would have made the water run over. He then defired them to introduce the candidate.

The Sage appeared, with that fimple and modeft air which generally accompanies true merit. The prefident rofe, and, without fpeak ing a word, pointed, with affliction in his looks, to the emblematical flagon fo exactly full.

The Sage understood from thence the vacancy was fupplied, but, without relinquishing hope, he endeavoured to make them comprehend that a fupernumerary member might, perhaps, be no detriment to their fociety. He faw on the floor a rofe-leaf, picked it up, and with care and delicacy placed it on the furface of the water, fo as not to make it overflow.

All the academicians immediately clapped their hands, betokening applause, when they beheld this

ingenious reply. They did more, they broke through their rules in favour of the Sage Zeb. The regifter of the academy was prefented him, and he infcribed his name.Nothing remained but for him to pronounce, according to cuftom, a fingle phrafe of thanks. But this new, and truly filent, academician, returned thanks without speaking a word.

In the margin of the regifter he wrote the number one hundred (that of his brethren) then put a cypher before the figures, under which he wrote thus: