The tumuli are monuments of an entirely peculiar character; they consist of a passage about sixty feet long, fourteen broad, and twenty-five high, and a very small chamber at the end of the passage.  The walls of the passage are sloping, like the roof of a house, and contract so much at the top, that at the utmost one foot is left between.  They are built of long and very thick stone slabs, which are placed over each other in such a way that the upper row projects about six or seven inches beyond the under one.  Upon the opening at the top are placed massive slabs of stone.  Looking down from the entrance, the walls appear as if fluted.  The room, which is a lengthened quadrangle, is spanned by a small arched roof, and is built in the same manner as the passage.  After the sarcophagus was deposited in the room, the whole monument was covered with earth.

The fine marble sarcophagus which is in the Museum, was taken from a tumulus which was situated near the quarantine house, and is considered to be that of King Bentik.

The greater number of the monuments were opened by the Turks; the remainder were uncovered by the Russian government.  Many of the bodies were found ornamented with jewels and crowns of leaves, like those in the Museum; an abundance of coins was also found.

The 26th of September was a great festival among the Russians, who celebrated the finding of the cross.  The people brought bread, pastry, fruit, etc., to the church, by way of sacrifice.  The whole of these things were laid up in one corner.  After the service, the priest blessed them, gave some few morsels to the beggars round him, and had the remainder packed into a large basket and sent to his house.

In the afternoon, nearly the whole of the people went to the burial-ground.  The common people took provisions with them, which were also blessed by the priests, but were hastily consumed by the owners.

I saw only a few people in the Russian dress.  This consists, both for men and women, of long wide blue cloth coats; the men wear low felt hats, with broad brims, and have their hair cut even all round; the women bind small silk kerchiefs round their heads.

Before finishing my account of Kertsch, I must mention that there are naphtha springs in the neighbourhood; but I did not visit them, as they were described to me as precisely similar to those at Tiflis.

The next part of my journey was to Odessa.  I could go either by sea or land.  The latter was said to present many objects of beauty and interest; but I preferred the former, as I had in the first place no great admiration of the Russian post; and, secondly, I was heartily anxious to turn my back upon the Russian frontiers.