Beauplan.
ther Castle, which encompasses it round. And from this Town to the Western shore there is about half a League, and a Ditch that reaches to the Sea. In the Town there are not above four hundred Inhabitants: The Tartars call it Or, and the Polanders, Perecop, that is in English, a Land trench'd about; for which reason Geographers call that part of Tartary, Tartaria Precopensis.
Kosesow is an antient Town Eastward, belonging to the Cham; it may contain about two thousand Inhabitants, and has a Harbour.
Gopetorkan, or Chersonne, is an antient ruin'd Place.
Baciesary is the Cham of Tartary's Place of abode, and has about two thousand Inhabitants.
Alma, or Foczola, is a Village where there is a Catholick Church dedicated to St. John, it contains about fifty Houses.
Baluclawa, a Port and Town, where they build the Grand Seignior's Ships, Galleys, and Galleons. The Mouth of the Harbour is about forty Paces over, the Port it self about 800 Paces in length, and 450 in breadth: What Water it has I could not learn, or what Bottom, whether Sand, Owze, or Rock; but it is likely to be above fifteen Foot, since Vessels of above 500 Ton go in loaded. This Borough has not above 120 Houses. It is one of the pleasantest Places, and best Harbours in the World, for a Ship is always afloat in it; and whatever Storm blows, it is not toss'd, for it is shelter'd from all Winds by high Mountains that enclose the Harbour.
Mancupo is a pitiful Castle, upon a Mountain call'd Baba: All the Inhabitants are Jews, and there cannot be above sixty Houses.
[Caffa the Capital of Tartary.]
Caffa is the Capital City of Crim Tartary, where there is a Turkish Governour for the Grand Seignior. The Tartars do not much live in this City; but most of the Inhabitants are Christians, serv'd by Slaves they buy of the Tartars, who take them in Poland and Muscovy. In this Town there are twelve Greek Churches, two and thirty of Armenians, and one of Catholicks, call'd S. Peter: It may contain five or six thousand Houses, but there are in it thirty thousand Slaves, for in that Country they make use of no other Servants. This is a City of great Trade, and deals to Constantinople, Trebisond, Sinope, and other Places; and in short to all Parts, as well within the Black Sea, as throughout all the Archipelago and Mediterranean.
Crimenda is very antient, belongs to the Cham, and has about an hundred Houses.
Karasu also belongs to the Cham, and has about two thousand Houses.
Tusla, where the Saltpits are, has about eighty Houses.
Combas about two thousand Houses.
Kercy about 100 Houses.
Ackmecery about 150 Houses.
Arabat, or Orbosec, is a Stone Castle which has a Tower seated on the Neck of a Peninsula, enclosed by the Sea of Limen and Tineka Woda, and this Neck is not above half a quarter of a League over, and is palisado'd from Sea to Sea. The Peninsula is call'd by our Cossacks, Cosa, because it is shap'd like a Sithe; there it is the Cham keeps his Breed, which is accounted to amount to above 70000 Horses.
Tinkawoda is a Strait between the Continent and Cosa, is but 200 Paces over, and fordable in calm Weather. The Cossacks pass over in the Tabort, when they go to steal the Chams Horses, as we shall mention hereafter.
From Baleclawa to Caffa, the Sea-Coast is very high, and perpendicular, all the rest of the Peninsula is low and plain. On the South side towards Or, there are abundance of moving Villages of Tartars, living upon Carts with two Wheels like those of Budziak.
The Mountains of Balaclawa and Carosu, are call'd Mountains of Baba, whence spring seven Rivers that water all the Peninsula, and are all shaded with Trees.
The River Kabats produces Vines. On the River Sagre are abundance of Gardens, and much Fruit.
The Strait between Kercy and Taman, is not above three or four French Leagues over.
Taman is a Town belonging to the Turk, in the Country of Circassia. This Borough has a poor Castle, where about thirty Hanichares keep guard; as is the like at Temruk, that secures the Pass at Azak, or at Zouf, which is a Town of note. At the Mouth of the River Donnais, East of Taman, is the Country of the Circassians, who are Christian Tartars, and look'd upon as the faithfullest.Of
