Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-01-18
People of Caucasus.

The French correspondent Of The Nrr
York Observer, in a recent letter, gives the
following account of the people of Caucasus
and theil leader Schamyl,w which will be read
with interest at this time, as every arrival
from Europe brings news ofthe bloody con-
test waging in that country:
Caucasus is long chain of mountains
situated between the Black Sea and the
Caspian Sea, upon the boundary between
Europe and Asia. These mountains are
only accessible through narrow passes or
defles, which were known to antiquity by
the name of gates, such as the Sarmafic,
the Caspian, the Iberian gaies, sc. Every
variety of climate is found in Caucasus
The highest peaks are covered with per-
petual ice and snow, and this fact is the Or
igin of the word Caucasus, WHICH means IN
the ancient diom of the East, aohite noun
iains. At the foot of the mountains on the
Southern side, are magnificent vallles, a.
dorned with all the richness OF Aslatlc veg
citation; the jasmine, the lilac, the rose
the almond tree, the fig, the olive, and the
date, flourish there, and produce abundant
fruits.
The Greeks and The Romans who had
never been able TO penetrate the profound
retreats of Caucasus, attached to these
mountains every kind of mythology tradI-
ton. All know the fable of Prometheus,'
who was supposed to be chained to rock
of Caucasus, and whose heart was devour-
ed by an immortal vulture. Poets also
placed people of Amazons in this coun-
try, perhaps because an army of BarbarIanss'
led by woman, had invaded the surround
ing provinces. At the present date even
many Caucasian tribes are still very little
known for travellers dare not venture a.
mong fierce men, who look upon strangers
as enemies, and pour out human blood like
water.
The Caucasian tribes, especially, deserve
mention, namely, the TcherkeSses and the
TcheichenS.
The Tcherkesses form population OF a.
bout 100000 souls; some travellers raise
their number to million individuals
They have Justly the reputation of being
one of the most beautiful races on the globe.
They possess, generally, slender and we'll
proportioned figure, great vigor, and extra
ordinary suppleness and agility. Their fea-
lures are regular and expressive, their car
riage noble and proud. They unite to rare
intrepidity some chivalrous qualities which
temper their natural ferocity. They are
never separated from their arms, which are
the gun, the pistol, placed in the belt, a
long posnard, and the sabre, which they
WELD with inconcevable dexterity. Their
costume, very picturesque, is composed OF
narrow pantaloon, short tunlc, and a
round laced bonnet, surrounded with black
or white fur. Indefatigable horsemen, they
ride their little horses, which sometimes
run 25 or 80 leagues in one night. The
women of the Tcherkesses, often designa-
ted under the name of Circassians, are less
distinguished for their beauty, than the
men; still travellers agree in saying that
there is much nobility and grace in their
movements.
If the Tcherkesses were united under
single chief, they could offer an insurmount-
able resistance to all the attacks ofthe Rus
slams; but they form kind of federal re.
public, or rather feudal government, and
cherish hereditary hatred against each 9TH
er. Each petty Tribe has its prince or Chief
its noble families, its freemen, its farmers
or peasants, and slaves. They convene, IN
certain emergencies, general assemblies.
where each man has the right to speak, and
the chiefs themselves hold their authority
only by their superiority, and wisdom, and
bravery. The religion of the Tcherkesses
is strange mixture of Christianity, Ma
hometanism, and paganism. The Christian
faith was brought to them in the fourth and
fifth centuries of our era, by missionaries
from The Byzantine empire. Afterwards
came pretended Musselman apostles, with
fire and sword. But these barbarians nev-
er adopted entirely either the one or the 9th.
er of these religions. Their present belief
and PRACTICES are founded upon the ancient
idolatry. A few of them are disciples OF
Zoroaster, worshipplng fire and the sun.
The Tschetchens are not so well known
as the Tcherkesses. Some hardy discove.
ries have penetrated among them but not
without difficulty and danger More than
one has paid for his temerty with his life'
Others have been made prisoners, and on
| ly recovered their liberty by high ransoms.
The Tchetchens are suspicious and cruel
Jealous of their rights, anb always ready to
take up arms. They are mostly attached to
Mahometanism, and animated by an ardent
fanaticism. They regard the struggle a
gainst the Muscovites as holy war. AT
no price will they make peace with the ad-
versaries of their nation, and Of their faith.
1t is already long time since the quarrel
began between the Tchetchens and the czars
of Russia. In the middle of the sixteenth
century grand duke of Moscow invaded
the eastern part of Caucasus, and establish
ed military posts on the borders OF the Cas-
pian Sea. The car Peter the Great came
and attacked these intrepid mountaineers,
with an army which had conquered the
king of Sweden, Charles XII. but he soon
felt the conviction that he could not con-
quer the Tschetchens, and after some slight
skirmishes, he prudently fastened to retrace
his steps.
The Tchetchens, as have mentioned,
are sustained by their religious enthusiasm.
They have among them periodically, kind
of myst,c or prophet, half priest, half soldier,
who pretends to hold direct communlca-
tious with God. The first of these social
ed prophets is named .uansour he he appear,
ed in Caucasus about the year 1889, reused
the mountaneers by bis preaching, march
ed at their head upon the battle field, and
being made prisoner in 1871, persisted in
Muscovlte dungeon. The second prophet
or messenger of God was Khasy .Moliah, re.
puted profound theologian among the
Mussulmans. This Khasy- -Moliah attacke d
the Muscovites with implacable fury, and
gained bloody triumphs. In the menth OF
October 1892, he died heroically in the
breach. The combat was trightful all the