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ganrog, which are both more conveniently situated for inland communication. The Kaffa merchants, however, anticipate the time when the sea of Azoff will be no longer navigable, and the commerce now enjoyed by Taganrog be driven back into its former channel.*

* Besides the Tatar population, the Crimea contains large colonies of Germans, who have been greatly favoured by Government, and owe it to their own idleness and drunkenness that they are not in the most flourishing circumstances; colonies of Bulgarians, who are the best farmers and most industrions inhabitants of the peninsula; Jews in abundance, many of whom are of the Karaite sect, and are every where much respected; Armenian shopkeepers in every town; and Greeks both in the towns and villages.

Some

The law respecting property in the Crimea remains precisely, or with little variation, the same as originally established by the Russians at the time of the subjugation. Every male soul settling on an estate is bound to give to the proprietor of it eight days' labour in the year; in return for this he has the privilege of grazing all his horses, cattle, &c. For whatsoever land he may plough, he gives onetenth of the produce to the proprietor

Some large villages of Russian crown peasants, in addition to the Tatars, form the principal population of the Stepp; but in the towns, particularly Kaffa, may be found the descendants of more than fifteen different nations.

of the soil, and for hay according to the abundance of the season, from one-third to one-half. Both hay and corn must be carried home to the yard of the proprietor, who goes himself into the field to see them sent.

In the simple life of the Tatars much may be traced of similarity with those recorded in the earliest ages of Scripture history. Their riches consist now, as was usual then, in flocks and herds, and in the number of their families. Many also of their domestic habits are the same: nor is it so much a matter of wonder, that, in lives so simple, so much accordance should be found, as that any people, having

had for some centuries past an intercourse with more civilized nations, should still retain those manners which characterized mankind before learning had enlightened and commerce enriched the world. Here, the former is still unknown, and the latter scarcely ventures a step beyond the neighbourhood of the seaport whither navigation tempts her. Exchange is still the medium of purchase, and is but seldom required or promoney duced in bargains made between one Tatar and another, since they look with far more anxious eyes at the expenditure of a single petack* than

*About a halfpenny.

at the cost of ten or twenty roubles, if negociated by the way of exchange. Poor Tatars, like Jacob, serve an apprenticeship for their wives, and are then admitted as part of the family.

- The Tatars of the Crimea may be divided into three classes: the Murzas, or noblemen; the Mullas, or priests; and the peasantry; the latter paying great deference to both the former. The Mulla is considered the head of every parish, and nothing of

consequence to the community is undertaken without his counsel.

His

land is ploughed for him, his corn

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