The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-27

neigbborbood Of Soujsk, which IL still held BY tho
Rnssaaps. Tho Russian fora Of Ciroassia are so si.
milar that q description Of one or 20 would 40 Iy
10 nearly ali. Thew arc dotted aloog the waols
cosst stiDtervas Of about miles, and are usually
near the mouths at mali mounssla rivers, 80 Is {,
command the valleys through which these streams
fir their way to the sea. These little rivers are
rarely naviesbla even for small boats The is
generally bar over which a ships gig can some.
times be ploted In very fine weather, but even then
the pent up water VIII hardly float her for more
than hurdIed yards. The Intervening county
geh,raiy consists Of very rugged hils matted with
GeDee pimeval To- est, impenet able from the sea.
The forts are generally admirably constructed of
bewD stone q soft ssndstone brought from Eert b.
AS the Circassisns have NO cannon, y height un
usual ia modern iorts has judiclousy been given 10
the walls, 80 as TO gn2 d against escalsde. They
are usually square. loopholed for masketry along
with four or five large trsversing brass aud iron
guns. mortar or two IN the centre com oeted the
armament. The garrison, nom 500 to 900 strong,
cupied wooden barracks In the interior, where
also there was occasionally Q small huron. On
the outside strong st0ckade enclosed few out
houses d., and protected fruit and vegetable
garden adjoining. Tho natives universally assert
that the Russians were strictly shut up in these
military PRISONS and that whenever the wants Of
few unfortunate horses or cattle (their fellow prs
Oners) obliged them to venture half mile from the
fort In search Of FODDER they sailed ont in battle
array, with field guns and fixed bayonets. As the
OF course they dictated TO the c0asting trade and
held the whole coast in grasp Of iron.
Custem houses at Souchum-K eleh and other
points levied rapscious duties On all imports. The
Trebizond Turks appear to have been the greatest
promoters Of barter, and its accompanying civilzs
tion. All along the coast yoo find spriakiiug Of
these Turks, who have adopted the Circassian Dress
language, and native wife. These settlers form
the sole shopkeepers and traders. At present, now
that the custom house robbsr has absconded, one
or two large Trebizond trading boats, with gay red
fags, may be seen hauled up out Of the reach of
the snlf, ear each the iofts Natives bessridug
ground compact eostskin packages Of corn. Their
tall sheepskin caps long becartidged tunics, slung
lifes, kept in shaggy gOatskin covers, with one
arge bright pistol stuck through the 9irdle IN the
hollowaoi1 the back, st,ikingly contrast with the
gausy shabby lot ,ons which form the Turkish
sailors scanty dress.
The party squa's down, the Turk fills and empties
q wooden measure Of salt, then hands II over to the
Circassian, who fills the same measure twice with
corn. Such is the simple barter, which u.s. believe
much on the increase since the fight OF the Rus
SLAMS. Money Is almost unknown, and is nearly
use ess the coast; salt and common white calico
universally called Americaine) are its representa-
tives. As to that extraordinary practice, the sale
Of damsels, it undoubtedly is common, and has long
been So The Russians are accused Of conniving at
the trade; but on this point cannot speak posi-.
lively. The lowest price appears to be fl0O; for
very first rate article Jon must pay f400. Now, q
b
man Of substance and station; consequently the
beauty gains what am told they do not object to
where-position and luxury. True. the future
husband and wife total strangers to each other;
often secures the same result. Adventurous English
mammas sometimes send out q batch Of daug lIsrs
to India. The principle is much the same; but the
Cir assians have these advaDtages-tne girl ex.
changes barbarism and poverty for comparative CT
yi!ization and comfort, and the weeping mamma is
coDsoled for the loss Of her darling by solid cash.
To return to the forts. few poplar trees, o
stray rose bust, or gaunt cat are the only living
things ;, which meet your sight on entering
charred stumps mark the site of what were once
barracks; confused heap OF cut stone, half buried
guns, and iron gun carriage wheels mark what was
Ire wreck OF property, amounting to hundreds Of
thousand Of pounds, fills the mind with amaze. |
Tors upon tons Of grapesbot, shells, &c, strewn
about in prodiga pr0fusioD In all directions they
pave the ground and embarrass ones steps.
That huge military quack, the Gar, see ms to
have but one nostrum for all human affairs-grape-
shot and shells. For twenty years he has been
striving to make friends WITH to subdue to civize,
shot. Want Of success never induces him TO try
some milder plan; no. grapeshOt for ever; and IL he
goes on for fifty years more with grapeshot, he will
tail. Mcst at the chiefs with whom have made
acquaintance have been wounded.
Though these forts are not very stron to va rdy
the sea, it would have cost the allies much time
lua, and money to have taken them. They were OF
course abandoned from the impossibilty of feediog
the gariisons now that the sea is no. theirs; bat
they were scrambled out Of them with strange pre-
tipiation notwithstanding the account OF the COM
pete removal of stores In the st Petersburg official
account. At Souchum. KaIeh, the largest and most |
important Of them. nearly everything va left. Il
S charming place at this season, with very good
louses and lovely botanic garden. They must
nave left 1t with great regret. One strols in and
but Of the silent houses guessing at the occupations
49, - Al~t~ - n
furniture, &C., strewed on all sides with feeling
akin to what one experiences atsPompei.
A deserted school especially attracted me. What
world Of infant labor, infant misery, and infant
sums, and rudimentry copybooks- |
al trampled under foot in hopeless confusion! A
boys manuscript map exhibited Russia Georgia,
Syria, Turkey, Greece, &C., oil under one view. Is
one country, The military bakers black bread
still loaded the shelves Of the bakery and no
hungry Abassian had been tempted to appropriate
the unpalatsble Hooking loayes. Mountains Of -four
on the dresser, and the capszed cask of yeast told
their tale Of labor abruptly stopped. On the top
OF the hill, overhsnging the town, there ia
spacious and noble hospital, well defended with
cannon towards the mountains,
Here, as elsewhere, there is an amazing wreck Of
pronesy and destruction Of eessSnoi& records. A
Harmed leech stroliug about with me, overhauled
IN abandoned book OF hospital cases; by far the
majority were cases Of scurvy. Evidently these I'M
fortunate slaves were rottng uuder the com bined
influence or bad food and an Indifferent climate.
The Circassians rarely sold any stick, but when
they did they always extorted twenty dollars for
bullock the just price being ten; and the gardens
probably only yielded enough vegetables for the
officers, 30 the poor devil Of soldier was left to rot
in scurvy upon black bread, With rare fragment,
perhaps Of salt meat As for the native chieftians
they are glorious fellows-tall, magnHcently
dressed, and nne featured; II is impossible to view
them a. ssvages. Among them the Nab (Eni m
Bey), Schamys lieutenant or representative Is the
most powerful and the most thoughtful. His will
seems law a'ong the whole coast from Soujak to
the AnakriA river.
Within those limits all along the coast all are
Mahomedans, and during the nine or ten years of
his residence among the Western Caucasians (being
q native of SchamyIs, or the eastern country, Ds
ghostsn), he has built mosques, created schools,
and, in short, excited q revival Of religion la
fnya ho rop1 ua han oaf1