In the neighbourhood of the castle is a Tartar village, of which there are many in the Crimea.  The houses are remarkable for their flat earth roofs, which are more used by the inhabitants than the interior of the huts; as the climate is mild and fine they pass the whole day at their work on the roofs, and at night sleep there.  The dress of the men differs somewhat from that of the Russian peasants, the women dress in the Oriental fashion, and have their faces uncovered.

I never saw such admirably planted and clean vineyards as here.  The grapes are very sweet, and of a good flavour; the wine light and good, and perfectly suited for making champagne, which indeed is sometimes done.  I was told that more than a hundred kinds of grapes are grown in the gardens of Prince Woronzoff.

When I returned to Jalta, I was obliged to wait more than two hours, as the gentlemen with whom I was to go on board had not yet finished their carouse.  At last, when they broke up, one of them, an officer of the steamer, was so much intoxicated that he could not walk.  Two of his companions and the landlord dragged him to the shore.  The jolly-boat of the steamer was indeed there, but the sailors refused to take us, as the jolly-boat was ordered for the captain.  We were obliged to hire a boat, for which each had to pay twenty kopecs (8d.) The gentlemen knew that I did not speak Russian but they did not think I partially understood the language.  I, however, overheard one of them say to the other “I have no change with me, let us leave the woman to pay.”  Upon this the other turned round to me, and said in French, “The share that you have to pay is twenty silver kopecs.”  These were gentlemen who made pretensions to honesty and honour.

29th September.  Today we stopped at the strong and beautiful fortress Sewastopol.  The works are partly situated at the entrance of the harbour, and partly in the harbour itself; they are executed in massive stone, and possess a number of towers and outworks which defend the entrance to the harbour.  The harbour itself is almost entirely surrounded by hills, and is one of the safest and most excellent in the world.  It can hold the largest fleets, and is so deep that the most gigantic men-of-war can lie at anchor close to the quays.  Sluices, docks and quays have been constructed in unlimited splendour and magnificence.  The whole of the works were not quite finished, and there was an unparalleled activity apparent.  Thousands of men were busy on all sides.  Among the workmen I was shown many of the captured Polish nobles who had been sent here as a punishment for their attempt, in 1831, to shake of the Russian yoke.

The works of the fortress and the barracks are so large that they will hold about 30,000 men.