723 M. STEAMSHIP LINES (agents at Odessa, see p. 565; at Batum, see p.
570). =1.= _North German Lloyd_ (Mediterranean & Levant Service; p.
563), from Odessa to Batum (and Constantinople) every fourth Monday.
Passengers between the two Russian ports are not carried. Fares from
Constantinople as at p. 571.—=2.= _Russian Steam Navigation & Trading
Co._ (direct Crimea and Caucasus Line) from Odessa to Batum every Mon.
aft. or even. (from Batum every Sun. night), viâ Sebastopol, Yalta,
Feodóssiya, and Novorossysk, in 4 days (1st cl. 41¾ roub.).
_Odessa_, see p. 564. The LLOYD STEAMERS pursue a S.E. course, straight
towards _Cape Chersonese_ (see p. 569).
The flat _Cape Tarkhankut_ (lighthouse), the W. extremity of the
=Crimea= (p. xxxiv) or _Tauric Peninsula_ (the ancient _Chersonesus
Taurica_), remains out of sight. On the S.E. the _Yaila Mts._, extending
to the _Chatyr-Dagh_ (4990 ft.), gradually come into view, along with
the hilly district in front of them sloping thence to the rolling
steppes in the N. part of the Crimea.
In clear weather we may descry to the E. _Cape Constantine_, the N. horn
of the _Bay of Sebastopol_ (Russ. _Sevastópol_), the best natural
harbour of the Black Sea, measuring about 4½ M. from side to side. The
higher parts of the town of _Sebastopol_, the chief naval harbour of S.
Russia, famous for its siege (1854–5) during the Crimean War, also are
visible.
[Illustration: IALTA]
As soon as we have rounded the flat _Cape Chersonese_ (lighthouse), the
S.W. extremity of the Crimea, we see before us the S. coast of the
peninsula, rising gradually to the precipices of Cape Aiya.
To the left rises _Cape Fiolente_, the _Parthenium_ of the ancients, the
supposed site of the sanctuary of Artemis in which Iphigenia served as
priestess. Beyond it, above the steep and wooded shore, is _St. George’s
Monastery_, founded in 988.
In the distance, between bare rocks on either hand, is the narrow
entrance to the _Bay of Balaclava_, supposed to correspond with Homer’s
description of the Læstrygonian Bay (Odyss. X, 86–94). The picturesque
little town of _Balaclava_, the ancient _Symbolon Portus_ and the seat
in the middle ages of the Genoese colony of _Cémbalo_, was the chief
base of the British army in the Crimean war, famed for the gallant
charge of the Light Brigade (25th Oct., 1854), commemorated by Tennyson.
Beyond _Cape Aiya_ (1919 ft.), which in clear weather is visible for
some 68 M., opens the _Bay of Laspi_, enclosed by the W. spurs of the
Yaila Mts.
When abreast of _Cape Sarýtsh_ (lighthouse), the S. point of the Crimea,
below the _Church of Foros_ and the _Baidar Gate_ (1634 ft.; celebrated
for its view), the Lloyd vessels pursue an E.S.E. course direct for
Batum. The picturesque and exuberantly fertile coast of the so-called
_Russian Riviera_ lies to our left, but all that we can descry are the
precipitous _Cape Kikeneïs_, the range of the _Ai-Petri_ (4046 ft.), and
the distant Cape Ai-Todór (see below).
The RUSSIAN STEAMER calls first at _Sebastopol_ (p. 568) and beyond
Cape Sarýtsh steers near the coast. The chief points visible are
_Mshátka_, _Miláss_ (recognizable by its four towers), Cape Kikeneïs
(see above), and the lofty and abrupt cliff of _Divo_, below _Lemény_.
We soon sight the superb château of Alúpka (p. 570), with Mt.
Ai-Petri, the white Moorish château of _Julber_, and _Cape Ai-Todór_,
with the villa of Schwalbennest.
Beyond the headland Yálta is disclosed to view. In the distance to the
N.E. rises _Ayu-Dagh_ (‘bear hill’; 1854 ft.). We pass Oreánda and
Livadia (p. 570) and land at the mole of—
=Yálta.=—HOTELS. *_Rossíya_ (Pl. a), R. from 2–3, B. ¾, D. 1¼ roub.;
_Fránziya_ (Pl. c). rather cheaper; _Hôt. de Yalta_ (Pl. d), in a high
site, good, R. from 1½ roub., D. from 80 cop. to 1 roub.; _Márino_
(Pl. i); _Oreánda_; _Métropole_; _Grand-Hôtel_ (Pl. f),
etc.—RESTAURANT in the public gardens D. ½–1 roub.
CABS (good ‘phaetons’ and pair). Drive in the town (also to or from
harbour) 20–50 cop. (luggage 10 cop.); hour 70, each addit. ½ hr. 30
cop.—POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE, at the Oreánda Hotel (see above).—SEA
BATHS (10–15 cop.), on the Nábereshnaya (stony beach).—The Yalta
section of the _Club Alpin de Crimée_ arranges, from April to Oct.,
drives (fare 1½ roub.) and walks in the environs. In the club-house
(Pl. 3; with museum and meteorological station), beside the
police-bridge, the programme for the week may be consulted.
_Yálta_ or _Jálta_, the capital of a district, with 20,000 inhab.,
most picturesquely situated in a bay formed by the spurs of the abrupt
Yaila Mts. (p. 568), is the most fashionable watering-place in the
Crimea (mean annual temperature 57° Fahr.). The Nábereshnaya or Marine
Esplanade and the adjacent shady town-garden (20 cop.) are the chief
promenades.
To the E. of Yalta, and reached in 1 hr. by the upper road to Gursuff
(see below), is the (3 M.) beautiful park of *_Lower Massándra_ (carr.
there and back 1 roub. 60 cop.; adm. by season-tickets which are
issued free of charge at the director’s office on week-days, 9–12 and
2–5). Adjacent, on the N.E., is _Upper Massándra_, with a small
imperial château.—To the E. of Lower Massándra are the vineyards of
_Maharátsh_ and (4½ M. from Yalta) _Nikíta_, with an interesting
acclimatization-garden, founded in 1812.
In beautiful grounds about 2 M. to the S.W. of Yalta are the two
imperial palaces of _Livádia_. Adm. on week-days, 9–12 and 2–5, on
showing one’s passport at the director’s office. From the park of
Livadia we may next go by the ‘Lower Road’ to the adjoining park of
_Oreánda_ (carr. from Yalta 3 roub. 20 cop.), which likewise is
imperial property. Since it was burned in 1882 the castle has remained
a ruin. A good view is obtained from the _Krestóvaya Gorá_ (614 ft.)
or ‘Hill of the Holy Cross’.
About 11 M. to the S.W. of Yalta (carr. 3 roub. 20 cop.; also local
steamers), on the coast, lies _Alúpka_, with a beautiful park and a
château in the Gothic-Moorish style, built by Blore in 1837 for Prince
Vorontsóv (p. 566).—About 9 M. to the N.E. of Yalta is _Gursuff_
(carr. 5 roub. 60 cop.; also local steamers), in a charming situation,
with good sea-baths. In the former château of the Duc de Richelieu
Púshkin (p. 567) lived in 1820.
Beyond Yalta the direct Russian steamers continue their voyage along
the coast, which farther on becomes increasingly level, to
_Feodossiya_ or _Theodosia_ (p. xxxiv), the chief commercial port of
the Crimea. Hence they steer to the S.E., leaving the _Straits of
Kertch_ (see below) to the left, to the beautifully situated seaport
of _Novorossysk_. From the last port to _Batum_ the steamers follow a
similar course to that of the Lloyd Steamers described below.
See also _Baedeker’s Russland_ or _Russie_ (no English edition).
The LLOYD STEAMER now makes for the open sea, leaving the _Straits of
Kertch_ or _Yeníkale_ (the ancient _Cimmerian Bosporus_), the entrance
to the Sea of Azov (p. 561), far to port (left).
The S.W. slope of the _Great Caucasus_, the mighty frontier-wall between
Europe and Asia, which has been almost uninhabited since the emigration
of the Circassians in 1865, does not become visible until we are abreast
of _Gagry_. When we are nearly opposite the mouth of the Ingúr we may
descry in clear weather the two snowy domes of the volcanic _Elbruz_,
or, as it is sometimes called, _Elburz_ (18,468 ft.), the chief height
of the _Central Caucasus_.
As the boat holds its course in the direction of _Batum_ the _Ajara
Mts._ (_Lazistan_, p. 571), belonging to the _Little Caucasus_
(‘Armenian Highlands’) rise to the E., separated from the Great Caucasus
by the ancient land of _Colchis_, the marshy plain of the _Rion_ (the
ancient _Phasis_). The _Harbour of Batum_, opening to the N., is
inadequately sheltered from the W. and S.W. storms of winter by _Cape
Batum_ (lighthouse).
=Batum.=—ARRIVAL. All the steamers are moored alongside the quay; hand
baggage 5 cop., heavy luggage 10 cop. each package.
HOTELS. _Fránziya_, Micháilovskaya; _Impérial_, Kutaïskaya, R. 1½–10,
B. ½ roub.; _Oriental_, Nábereshnaya.—POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE,
Maríinsky Prospekt.—CAB from harbour or station to town 40, drive 25,
hour 60 cop.
CONSULS. British, _P. W. J. Stevens_.—United States, _A. Heingartner_;
vice-consul, _E. Mattievich_.
STEAMBOAT AGENTS. _North German Lloyd_, Schutz & Zimmermann; _Russian
Steam Navigation & Trading Co._, Arkadaksky; _Austrian Lloyd_,
Marcetich; _Messageries Maritimes_, De Cortenze; _Società Nazionale_,
Valazzi; _N. Paquet & Co._, Victor d’Arnaud.
_Batum_, a town of ca. 30,000 inhab., was the ancient _Bathys_, a place
of little importance. In modern times, under the name of _Bathumi_, it
was a Turkish frontier-fortress down to 1878. By the terms of the Berlin
Congress of that year it passed to Russia (along with Kars), and it is
now the strongly-fortified capital of the Russian province of its own
name. The town, which has the most important harbour on the E. coast of
the Black Sea, owes its present prosperity to the construction of the
railway to Bakú, on the Caspian Sea. The staples of its trade are
petroleum products (annual exports 1¼ million tons), manganese ore,
liquorice, silk-cocoons, and wool. Along the beach runs the _Boulevard_,
above which to the S. rises the _Alexander Névsky Cathedral_, built in
1903. About ¾ M. to the S. lies the _Railway Station_, and near by is a
_Roman Catholic Church_. In the W. part of the town, on _Lake Nurie_, is
the _Alexander Park_, with subtropical vegetation.
To the S.W. of the town, beyond Cape Batum, is the marshy and
fever-stricken _Delta of the Chorokh_.
See also _Baedeker’s Russland_ or _Russie_ (no English edition).