Circassia (Russia) -- Social life and customs; Crimea (Ukraine) -- Social life and customs; Harems
There is one sad malady for which these baths are peculiarly
efficacious. This complaint consists in the skin becoming so thin
that at times the slightest exertion may cause hæmorrhage to take
place from any or all parts of the body; a wasting consumption being
thus produced that usually ends fatally.
The baths at Eupatoria have effected some wonderful cures, and their
reputation is of course increasing.
The patient lies for some hours every day in the soft, healing muddy
water, which, by degrees, makes a sort of artificial coating by leaving
the sediment upon the body. The skin is thus protected until it can
regain its proper health and thickness. We afterwards met a Russian
in Sevastopol who had been quite cured by this singular remedy.
Immediately in front of the landing-place is the caravanserai, a long,
low building, with galleries. It contains a number of small, empty
rooms, of which any traveller may take possession for a night. We
watched the arrival of a large party, who came in wearily with
their tired horses and camels, having come across the Great Steppe,
or wilderness, that for a hundred miles or more lies to the north
of Eupatoria.
Side by side with the mosque, the walls almost joining, is the
principal Greek church, and round it are the best houses, which we,
on landing, thought very wretched; but having been brought to a proper
degree of depression by a walk through the town, we found them quite
comfortable as we returned.
It would be difficult to find a place more squalid and filthy than this
miserable little town. Eyes and nose are equally offended; and after
the delicate cleanliness so apparent in the Turks and their houses,
Eupatoria and its inhabitants appeared the more revolting.
Men, women, and houses looked as if water had been a luxury unknown
to them from the earliest days. Oil, oil everywhere--on the walls, in
the clothes, in the air, even on the ground. One would have expected to
see it running in the gutters, could anything run here, but everything
liquid seems to stagnate, and turn into sticky mud. Nothing was clean
except the kittens, and they may fairly claim to be counted amongst
the population of the town, so numerous were they.
The bazaars were better supplied than might have been supposed from
the poverty-stricken appearance of the place.
The bread was fairly good, and fruit very abundant. The melons,
especially, were excellent, and exceedingly cheap. We bought some of
the finest in the market for little more than two copecks (about a
penny) apiece.
The day following our arrival we went on shore about six o'clock,
in order to have a long drive into the Steppe. Whilst waiting for
our conveyance we went into the Greek church, and found it crowded
with people, it being the Feast of the Assumption.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account