[5] This odd expression, that these provinces are
not far from each other,
certainly means that they
are not large.—E.
[6] Otherwise called Sebastopolis, also Isguriah or Dioskurios.—Forst.
[7] Hence Asper, the ordinary denomination
of silver coin in moderns
Turkey is evidently borrowed
from the Greek.—E.
[8] Now Precop.—E.
[9] Kumania and Gazzaria, here said to be provinces
of the Crimea, or
island of Kaffa, must have
been small districts of that peninsula,
inhabited by tribes of the
Kumanians and Gazzarians of the country
between the sea of Asof and
the mouths of the Wolga, now frequently
called the Cuban Tartary.
The whole of that country, together with the
country between the Wolga
and Ural rivers, often bore the name of
Kumania. But the destructive
conquests of the Mongals, has in all ages
broken down the nations of
those parts into fragments, and has induced
such rapid and frequent changes
as to baffle all attempts at any fixed
topography, except of lakes,
rivers, and mountains.—E.
[10] The ancient Taurica Chersonesus; the Crimea of
our days, now again
called Taurida by the Russians.—E.
[11] Probably Ulu-beg, or the great prince.—E.
[12] Soragathi or Solgathi, is named by Abulfeda Soldet
or Kirm; and is at
present called Eskikyrym,
or the Old Citadel.—Forst. From the
name of
this place, Chirmia, Kirmia,
Kirm, or Crim, the name of the peninsula
and its inhabitants, Chrimea,
and Crim-Tartars, are evidently
derived.—E.
[13] Kerkiardi is the Kerkri of Abulfeda, and signifies
in Turkish forty
men. Some call the place
Kyrk, and the Poles name it Kirkjel. It is
situated on an inaccessible
mountain, and was one of the castles
belonging to the Goths who
dwelt in those mountains, absurdly called
Jews by some authors; of whom
some traces remained not long ago, as
their language contained many
words resembling German.—Forst.
[14] I should suspect that this term, here applied
to one place only, had
been originally the general
appellation of the forty castles
belonging to the Goths, who
long defended themselves in the Tauric
Chersonese. The ridiculous
conversion of these Goths into Jews, may be
accounted for, by supposing
that some ignorant transcriber had changed
Teutschi into Judei, either
in copying or writing from the ear.—E.
[15] The Pantikapaeum of the ancient Bosphorian kings.
The Ol-Kars of
Abulfeda.—Forst.
[16] This is nearly on the same spot with the Theodosia
of the Greeks and
Romans.—Forst.
[17] Otherwise Soldadia, Soldadia, or more properly
Sugdaja, now Sudak or
Suday, by which name it is
mentioned in Abulfeda.—Forst.
[18] Grasui, or Grusui, now unknown, perhaps stood
at a place now called
Krusi-musen, which seems to
preserve some traces of the name.—Forst