CHAP. XXIII.

The whole of it is of recent date. The river Bog, by which it stands, flows quite round the place in a broad and ample channel. Ships of the line cannot come close to the buildings on account of a sand-bank; but brigs and other small vessels are carried over by the floating machines called Camels, in use at Petersburg and many other parts of Russia. The arsenals, store-houses, and other works, are so extensive, that it is evident great efforts have been made to render this place an emporium of high importance for the Russian navy. The Admiral-in-Chief of the Black Sea, as well as the ViceAdmirals, reside here; and an office is established for regulating all marine affairs belonging to the three ports, Cherson, Odessa, and Nicholaef. The public buildings and palaces of the Admirals are very stately; and, considering the short time that has elapsed since Nicholaef was a miserable village, the progress made in the place is surprizing. There is no town to compare with it in all the south of Russia, nor any in the Empire, excepting Moscow and Petersburg. Its elevated situation; the magnificence of its river; the regularity that has been observed in laying out the streets, and their extraordinary breadth; the magnificence and number of the public works, with the flourishing state of its population; place it very high in the small catalogue of Russian towns. English officers, and English engineers, with other foreigners in the Russian service, residing here, have introduced habits of urbanity and cleanliness; and have served to correct, by the force of example, the barbarity of the native inhabitants.

FROM NICHOLAEF TO ODESSA.

Remains of Olbiopolis-Inscriptions-Medals-Admiral Priestman
-Mineralized Shells-Observations upon the Odessa Limestone-
Consequences which resulted from the Opening of the Thracian
Bosporus-Conduct of the Emperor respecting Odessa-Number
of discarded Officers-Usurious Practices of the Sovereign-
Further Account of Odessa-Barbarous Etiquette observed at
Russian Tables-Anecdote of Two Englishmen-Precaution to
be used in travelling - Account of the Passage by Land to
Constantinople-Preparation for sailing from Odessa.

SOME interesting antiquities have been found in the neigh- CHAP. XXIV.

bourhood of Nicholaef. To the south of the town, near the fall of the Bog into the Dnieper, there stood not long ago a fortress, which the traditions of the country ascribed

to

Remains of
Olbiopolis.

CHAP. XXIV. to Alexander the Great. The Emperor Paul gave orders for its destruction; and the joyful Russians, ever happy in works of that kind, speedily removed every trace of its existence. Not far from the same place, exactly at the junction of the two rivers, about twelve miles from Nicholaef, are the remains of Olbiopolis, the only Greek city of European Sarmatia, of which there is any antient medal extant'. The Russians have discovered there not only medals, but also bas-reliefs, inscriptions, amphora, tombs, and many other valuable indications of the site of that city. A view of those ruins would have afforded us the highest gratification; but the circumstances of our situation would not admit of the delay necessary; our liberty, if not our lives, depended upon making the best use of the time allowed us for effecting our escape. We were well aware that, if any intelligence of our intention should reach Petersburg, all our hopes of quitting Russia would be annihilated. In the church of Nicholaef is preserved a stone brought from thence, which has the following inscription, recording the dedication of a golden image of Victory to Apollo, the protector, offered up by the officers, whose names are mentioned, in behalf of the city and their own safety.3

(1) See the Vignette to this Chapter.

(2) The length of the stone is two feet; its breadth at the top, where the inscription begins, nine inches, and twelve inches at the bottom.

(3) The meaning of the word goσrárns and gooracía in the following inscriptions will be obvious from these passages of Philo, (De Præm. et Pan.) Moses is called, Ὁ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐπιμελητὴς καὶ προστάτης. Of Joseph it is said, Τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὴν The word is also applied to the Deity,

ispersiar xai #gooтaoiar xaßur. De Josepho.
ἐπιμελείαν καὶ προστασίαν λαβών.

as Ruler and Director of the universe, in this passage: Σωτηρίως εὐθύνονται τὸ οἰκεῖον ἔργον, ἐπιμέλειάν τε καὶ προστασίαν καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μερῶν, ὅσαπερ θείας ἐπάξια φροντίδος ποιούμενον.

De Abr.

I am

Other inscriptions have been found at Olbiopolis, some of
which correspond remarkably with the preceding.
enabled, by the kindness of a learned friend who lately
returned from his Travels in Greece, to make a most
interesting addition to those which I copied at Nicholaef.
During his residence in Athens he copied four Olbiopolitan
inscriptions, then preserved by M. Fauvel, a celebrated artist
and antiquary; these he has liberally contributed to this
Work, together with the illustration which the Reader will
find accompanying them. They may perhaps be considered

as

(4) The Rev. Robert Walpole, M. A. of Trinity College, Cambridge, editor of Comicorum Græcorum Fragmenta, and Author of the learned Essays which bear his name in the Herculanensia, published jointly with those of Sir W. Drummond.

CHAP. XXIV.

Inscriptions.

CHAP. XXIV.

as the only remaining documents likely to appear concerning this remarkable city.

In the first of these, a similar dedication of a statue of Victory is recorded, with this difference, that the image is of silver.

ΑΓΑΘΗ ΤΥΧΗΙ

ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ ΠΡΟΣ

ΤΑΤΗΙΟΙΠΕΡΙΔΗΜΗ

ΤΡΙΟΝ ΠΡΑΞΙΑΝΑΚΤΟΣ
ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΙΑΛΟΥΘΑΤΟΣ
ΑΝΤΕΡΩΤΟΣΑΙΛΙΟΣ

ΝΑΥΤΙΛΛΟΥ ΑΡΙΣΤΟ

ΝΙΚΟΣ ΔΙΟΝΥΣΙΟΥΟ

ΚΑΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ.

. . . . ΑΝΕΘΗ

ΚΑΝΝΕΙΚΗΝ ΑΡΓΥΡΑΝ

ΥΠΕΡ ΤΗΣΠΟΛΕΩΣ ΚΑΙΤΗΣΕ

ΑΥΤΩΝ ΥΓΕΙΑΣ

ΛΟΥΚΙΟΣΛΟΥΚΥ

In the next the image was of gold, as in the inscription

found in the church of Nicholaef.