them acquainted with all political secrets, and their fiat determined the day and hour of giving battle. Hence the safety of the masters depended entirely upon their fidelity. When Kaplan Gherai lay encamped upon the Pruth, and might have won an easy victory over the Russians, his astrologer pronounced the day unfavourable for an attack. Hence he suffered the opportunity to escape him; and the enemy having time to bring up reinforcements, he was himself routed. It was afterwards known, that Marshal Romanzow had gained access to the astrologer, and bribed him to accommodate his reading the celestial signs to Russian purposes.

The myrzas or nobles monopolised public offices and posts of honour. They embraced two classes,— the great magnates descended from the first conquerors, of whom the Shirin family ranked the highest, and could alone ally themselves by marriage with the khans. Ennobled families constituted a second inferior order. The land was chiefly divided into royal domains, either enjoyed by the sovereign, or attached, by way of salary, to certain offices; and into noble fields, the hereditary estates of the great families, which were not held of the crown, and subject to no quit rent. But, upon the failure of heirs of the seventh degree of affinity, the noble

fields lapsed to the khan, as lord-paramount. The land paid no tax to the state, except that each Kadilik, or district, had to furnish a waggon drawn by two horses, and a load of corn, when the princes went out to war. This was a mere temporary supply, the army being left to pillage for its permanent subsistence. The peninsula was divided into twentyfour districts, called after the chief towns situated in them, of which the most important were the kadiliks of Bakchi-serai, Akmetchet, Koslov, Inkerman, Kaffa, Kertch, and Perekop. Headed by notables, the people of the towns and villages presented the sovereign, on the occasion of a visit, with bread and salt, the emblems of peace and goodwill, and with sugar, the symbol of a mild and happy reign. The revenue of the crown was derived from the salt-works, generally farmed by Armenians or Jews, the customs, the annual tributes, and the booty obtained in military expeditions. Though considerable, the exchequer was often empty, owing to lavish expenditure; and forced loans are said to have been extracted from the Jews. Like many other royal personages, the Tatar princes were sufficiently improvident, and would reply to economical advisers, "What good is it to hoard up wealth? Who ever knew a Gherai

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to die of poverty?" Calculations upon the profit of some future foray stimulated this spendthrift spirit.

The Gherais were as fiery as they were lavish. Khan Krim, wishing to test the mettle of his second son, a mere stripling,-ironically remarked upon his archery, that a distaff suited a coward better than a bow. "Coward!" responded the child: "I fear no one,—not even you ;" and immediately let fly an arrow at his sire, to demonstrate the truth of the observation. The missive, more respectful than its projector, passed the living target, and entered, two fingers' deep, some adjoining wood-work. Being generally dutiful, and a favourite, the boy's passionate display was overlooked. Hawking and greyhoundcoursing were the common pastimes of the court. On these occasions, the khans sometimes took the field with 500 or 600 horsemen, and remained camping out for several days. Baron de Tott, a French agent, sent to the Crimea by the Duke de Choiseul, enlarged the circle of amusements by the exhibition of fire-works and electrical experiments, to the no small astonishment of the people. Maksoud Gherai preserved his composure under a moderate shock, as a point of dignity; but the courtiers, more severely handled, regarded the operator with not a little awe as a veritable magician. All Bakchi-serai resounded

the next day with the prodigies performed by the envoy. He was fully occupied for some time in gratifying curiosity. A deputation appeared at his dwelling, and thus addressed the secretary :--"We are, Sir, Circassian myrzas, hostages with the khan. We have heard of the miracles performed by your Bey at his pleasure,-miracles of which no person before has ever had an idea since the birth of the Prophet, and which will never be known to man after his death. Beseech him to permit us to be witnesses to them, that we may one day testify them in our country; and that Circassia, deprived of this wonder, may at least be able to record the memory of it in her annals." Maksoud, according to the envoy, was fond of evening parties. The guests came after the prayer at sunset, and remained till near midnight. Supper was served upon two low round tables, one of which was placed before the khan, who always ate alone, while the other accommodated the company. De Tott, on the day appointed for his first audience, was waited upon by the master of the ceremonies, with a detachment of the guard, and some officers to serve as an escort. On arriving at the palace, the vizier met him in the vestibule to conduct him to the audience chamber. He found the khan seated on a divan, with some courtiers

standing near him. A chair was placed opposite the sovereign for his own use, after delivering his credentials and paying the usual compliments. An invitation followed to visit the palace frequently; and, with the same escort, he returned to his house.

Bakchi-serai, the capital of the khanate, Akmetchet, now Simferopol, Koslov or Eupatoria, Kaffa, and Karasu-basar, were the principal towns in the peninsula during the period of the Tatar rule. The name of the capital is taken from the residence of the khans, and signifies the Palace of Gardens. It is still the most interesting town in the Crimea, by virtue of its romantic position, Tatar population, and oriental royal abode. Nothing is European,nothing is even Russian,-except the few soldiers who keep guard over the deserted halls of the sons of Genghis Khan. All is Eastern and Asiatic. The site is a Matlock-like valley, the sides of which bristle with large cube-shaped blocks, as if a torrent had swept away the soil in which they were once embedded; leaving them so nicely poised that, apparently, a touch would send them to the bottom of the ravine. A small stream flows through the dell, along which are the houses. They rise also on the slope of the hills, interspersed with gardens, vineyards, and clumps of trees, chiefly