The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

THE CRIMEA. 443times facilitated communication between the northern steppe and the south coast;hence this is one of the vital points of the peninsula.*On both sides of the range, and at its two extremities, igneous rocks havecropped out. They were formerly supposed to be serpentines of great age, butchemical analysis has shown that they are recent basalts, and of this material iscomposed Cape St. George, at the south-west extremity of the peninsula. Thesubterranean action felt from time to time on both sides of the Strait of Yeni-Kaleh occurs precisely on the common axis of the Crimean and Caucasus ranges.Fig. 234.Chatik, Dagh and Neighbouulng Yailas.Scale 1 : 355,000.Thermal and naphtha springs, and mud volcanoes like the Sicilian maccalube,still occur here and there in the hilly district about Kertch ;but vast argillaceousbeds of igneous origin show that these mud volcanoes were formerly far moreactive than at present. Those of Bulganak, some 4 miles north of Eertch,are still the most violent, and whenever the state of the mud allows them to beapproached, vapour bubbles may be seen projecting the ooze several inchesabove the craters. According to the greater or less fluidity of the substances* Chief summits of the Crimean range, according to Parrot and Engelhardt :—Chatir Dagh, 5,450feet ; Bahugan Yaila, 5,430 feet ; A'i Vassilem, 5,340 feet.