The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

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there is always some sworn friend ready to avenge his
death ; thus perpetuating from generation to generation
the intense hatred entertained by this people against their
ancient foe, the Russians ; the necessity of a propitiatory
sacrifice being impressed upon them by their parents and
elders, as au atonement that must be made to the manes
of their slaughtered ancestors.
• • • • • •
Schamyl-Bey commenced his military career as a Murid
in the body guard of his predecessor, Khasi-Moullah,
when he was distinguished among his comrades for his
sanctity, abstinence, and heroic bravery. He was, how-
ever, indebted for his present elevated position to a very
singular circumstance, which still remains a mystery.
When the fortress of Hemry, his native town, was
besieged, the garrison, which consisted chiefly of Murids,
resolved to defend their chief, Khasi-Moullah, to the last
extremity, and, forming as it does part of the religious
obligation of a Murid, the slaughter of the Russians was
indeed fearful, but the Generals Rosen and Willeminetf
were determined, cost what it might, to take the fortress ;
knowing they would at the same time capture the prophet,
Khasi•Moullah. Fresh troops were therefore brought up,
and every outlet invested, to prevent the possibility of
escape. The cannon again played on the crumbling
towers, the scaling-ladders were again raised, and the
assailants as often driven back. At length the place was
taken ; still the devoted Murids disputed every inch of
ground with unexampled bravery, and when all was lost
they formed a rampart of their bodies around their beloved
chief, till they were shot or bayonetted by the exasperated
soldiers, and their bodies hurled from the battlements
into the Koi-sou beneath. Schamyl and his chief were
the last who shared the fate of their comrades, of being
thrown into the river, to be devoured by dogs or
vultures. This terrible slaughter took place on the 14th
of October, 183.2.

The whole of Daghestan mourned over the loss of their
beloved prophet and his heroic band of >i urids ' • when, lo !
to the astonishment of all men, two years afterwards,
Hemry, after having declared for the new prophet,
Hamsad-Bey, was again besieged by General Lanskoi.
At the very moment the garrison was about surrendering,
Schamyl, at the head of a large body of mountaineers,
came to their rescue, and turned the fortunes of the day.
If the heavens had opened, and Mahomet himself had
come down in a chariot of fire, he could not have made a
greater sensation throughout the whole of Daghestan than
did the resurrection of Schamyl from the grave. Who
could doubt but that he was invested with a mission from
God—that he was destined to be the saviour of his
country? Nor can it be wondered at that the whole
nation should elect him as their chief and prophet. How
competent he was to fill the proud position to which he
was elevoted is well known, the fame of his exploits
having spread not only over the Caucasus, but the whole of
Europe.
Schamyl was again lost sight of after the storming of
Akhoulga, one of the strongest fortresses in Daghestan,
where the Russians, after gaining possession, put every
human being to the sword; and as the prophet was seen
giving his commands, and fighting to the last, it could not
be doubted but that his career was now finished; yet at the
very time when all Daghestan was mourning his loss,
and the Russians were celebrating a " Te Deum " in com-
memoration of the death of their terrible foe, his dreaded
name again re-echoed throughout the neighbouring pro-
vince Avaria, where, at the head of 15,000 Lesghians and
Tchetchenena, he was destroying all the forts they had
taken so much pains to erect, and laying waste the entire
country with fire and sword, because the inhabitants had
submitted to Russia.
We do not pretend to say that the great popularity of
this very able leader is to be ascribed entirely to the
mystery with which he surrounds himself; still it has
great weight with a superstitious people, contributes not a
little to the general prepossession in his favour, and the
belief that a man who had escaped so many perils must be
the favoured of heaven, delegated to fulfil a mission which
the powers of earth would vainly seek to thwart. No doubt
Schamyl, who knows his countrymen, finds it expedient
now and then to have recourse to a coup de thetilre to keep
up their drooping spirits, since, with all their perseverance
and bravery, they cannot but despair of ever seeing their
country delivered from a power that continues pouring in
fresh troops in endless succession, numerous as the rand
on the sea-shore.

Mn. SIDNEY HERBERT AND THE NAMES OF HIS
HORSES.—We have on several occasions adverted to
the names which Mr. Sidney Hel bert has given to
his horses, as showing the political predilections
which he entertains. All his horses are named after
some Russian original or other. We have the Auto-
crat, Grand Duke Constantine, the Empress, Grand
Duke Michael, Grand Duke, Empress Catherine,
and a host of others ; and we have beard it hinted
that the two next will be respectively named the God
of the Russias and the Knout.—Racing Times.
THE COUNT AND COUNTESS DE CHAMBORD arrived
r Vienna on the 11th from Frohsdorf. ;t was re-
ported that, out of delicacy towards the French Go
vernment, the Emperor of Austria had requested the
exiles of Frohsdorf not to pay their usual visit to
Vienna this year. This scruple, if it ever existed,
appears now to have been overruled.
THE MORTALITY OF LONDON, as shown by the re-
gistration for the week ended last Saturday, is not so
high as in the till ee preceding weeks, having fallen
to 1,093. In the corresponding weeks of the ten
years 1844-53 the average number, if raised in pro-
portion to increase of population, was 1,041. The
present mortality is therefore still somewhat in ex-
cess of the estimated amount.

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