The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-08-17
OUR MONTHLY LONDON CORRESPONDENCE.
No. ".
THE CAUCASUS AND ARMENIA,
In continuation Of the series entitled Slavery in
Russia
I,,o,,ct

| The mountainous range of the Caucasus oc.
cupies the isthmus lying between the Euxine
and Caspian seas-thc former enclosing il ON
the western side; the latter, On the eastern. On
the south, the river Araxes-the modern Ar
ras-separates it from Persia and Armenia: ON
the north, it is divided from the wide steppe of
Southern Russia by the river Kour, the CYRUS
ofthe ancients, and by the Terek. The length
OF the Caucasian chain, from Anapa, on tho
Black Sea, to Bakou, on the Caspian. is 600
English miles; but its breadth is only thirty
leagues, if the inferior Caucasus-that is. Ara
rat in Armenia-be not included.
There are few regions in the world richer
In tradition, fable, and poetry, than these coun.
tries They have also been eminent for the
patriotism and valor of their inhabitants: nor
have the mOderns degenerated from the mar
tlal virtues of their ancestors Mountains have
ever been the home of liberty and from the
SUBMITS and gOrges of the Caucasus, the Cir
cassians, single-handed, and for thirty years
have bid defiance to the naval and military
power OF Russia. Under the shadow of those
lofty hills, the united fleets of England and
France now ride triumphant, along the eastern
shores of the Euxine, and in their guns the
brave mountaineers recognise the guarantees
of their future freedom At such an epocb as
the present, an account Of this interesting re-
glon would seem to be Opportune.
On Caucasus, Zoroaster placed the abode of
Ahrlnanes, the evil spirit of the Persian the
ogony, and enemy of the benevolent Oromazes;
and there, also, the vulture gnawed the liver
OF the enchained Prometheus Jason and the
Argonauts sailed up the Phasis, the modern
R!oD, II search OF the Aries Chrysovellus, the
Ram with the Golden Fleece; and Colchis, the
modern IBERIA, is the scene of the sad story of
Medea. In these regions dwelt the warlike
Amazons, and there reigned the Great Mithri-
dates king of the Bosphorus. In the earliest
traditions, we meet with the Demiurgus of
ancient myth; by whom this globe and its in.
habitants were created; but, against the will
of the SUPREME, he impaired to the human
race spark of light, (the fruit Of the tree of
knowledge for which he was condemned, els.
throncd, and imprisoned in the abyss. This
myth appears in variety Of forms, and the
Greeks embodied it IN the character of Prone
theus who stole fire from heaven. The rock
to which he was bound, according to the le-
gend, is the modern Kasbck, called by the na-
tiyes lDqalnVari. The Scythians, to the north
OF TIE Caucasus are said to have paid par-
ticular worship to a divinity who was called,
in their language Pron-theut that is, Benefi
cent Deity, similarity of name to that of Pro.
metheus which Pelloutier, in his Historic dcs
CelteS, justly points out as remarkable. In
Marigny's Three Voyages to the Caucasus
there is recorded a curious tracesof this Prone
thean myth, preserved among the Abhasians,
who dwell near Mount Eiberous on that side
OF the Caucasian chain which faces the Black
Sea. The fable states that groans and the
clanking of chains we're frequently heard pro.
ceeding from the deep caverns of the abyss,
when one, more bold than his fellows, descend.
cd to ascertain tho cause of these awful and
mysterious sounds, and there found powerful
giant who said to him, "Child of man of the
upper world, who has dared to como down be-
low, tell me how the race of man lives in the
world above! Is woman still true to man Is
the daughter still Obedent to the mother. and
the son to the father I" The Abhasian an
swered these questions in the affirmative;
whcreupon the giant gnashed his teeth, groan.
ed, and said "Then must still lie here. with
sighs aud lamentations We may briefly
notice another Of the popular fables. Beyond
the great mountain chain which crosses the
Caucasus, diagonally from the Black Sea to
the Caspian, live Cog and Magog but, for OBJ
yious reasons, the precise locality is unknown
Ii Is believed that two TltGns will one day get
over this wall, and destroy the kingdom of the
Faithful; and it is curious that this tradition is
said to be a direct prophecy of Mohammed.
Let us now torn to the inferior Caucasus. or
Mount Ararat rich in traditions relating to
the Deluge. According to DR.. Frederick Wag-
ner, the namo of EriVau, the capital of Russian
Armenia, signifies, in the language Of that
country, the whole" for IL is said that
Noahs ark was 10hOHy visible from the spot on
which that city now stands. Nactchivan de-
notes the half" and Echmiadzn % the quar-
ter" Thus these various names indicate the
relative positions of the ark with reference to
different localities. Before the ark reached
Mount Ararat it is reported to have rested on
Mount Elberous in the Upper Caucasus; and
1t is current tradition that the mountain was
cleft in twain by its weight, as may be seen at
the present day. Haxshausen, one of the most
recent travellers in Armenia, translates Erivap,
not as "the whole" but by the word visible"
for it is said that when Noah, after the waters
had begun to subside looked for the first time
from Ararat and beheld on this spot the dry
ground, he exclaimed, at is yisible;" and
hence this locality was named Erivan. The
Persians call Ararat K0h-inoo; that's "Noah's
Mountain" The Armenians call it Masses
that is, {" Mother of the Worldn The region
round the eastern foot of the mountain is Arch
noisds, or Foot of Moab, because it was there
he alighted ;1the village of Agorhee, Akhoree,
Arghae-for it is thus differently spelt-was
his dwelling place; the derivation being ARG
The planted) MARI (the vine J for it was near
to his dwelling place that he planted the vine
which no had brought out of Paradise, under
circumstances presently to be explained. The
original "a vine is still shown, but it no longer
yields grapes producing wiAe, owing to the sins
of mankind. A church is erected on the spot
where Noah'S altar stood. The town of Mack
cheran denotes the spot on which Noah first
placed his foot when he stepped from the ark.
The village called Manard signifies "The
mother lies here" Noah's wife having been
buried on that ground.
The famous convent of Echmiadzin is the
residence of the Armenian Patriarch, who is
also styled Catholics. 1t is distant from Fri
van about twelve miles, in broad plain be-
tween Ararat and the mountainous range of
Hlagos. The Armenians as we learn from
Haxthausen, contend that this was the site of
Paradise, and that the Fire Vomiting Ararat
was the flaming sword of the Angel who guard
ed the entrance against Adam and his posteri-
ty. The Flood destroyed the garden of Eden and
ouenched the Fire, but likewise obliged Noah
to land upon the mountain, SO that the human
race was distributed second time from the
same spot Here Noah saw the rainbow of
reconciliation, and here he found the vine, the
last remnant Of the delicious fruits of Para
disc.
Through the chain of the Caucasus there
are supposed to be not moro than six passes
leading from Europe into Asia but this is con-
jectural, as the country has not been scientif-
cally surveyed. The pass of Darrell, otherwise
called the DEFtLE Of the Terek, is on the direct
route from MosdOk to Tihis, this latter being
the capital of Georgia, and it is the key to the
Eastern Caucasus. In former times, it was
frequently attacked by the Persians, but with
out success, and it became proverb in Persia,
Il 70 fnn II