The New York herald., 1873-12-17
THE CAUCASUS.
Lecture by Mr. George Ksnnan-Chief Justice
Daily on the Death Of Agassis-Mr. Paul B.
Du Chaillu Among the Norwegianr.


Du Chaillu Among the Norwegians.
Last evening meeting OF the American Geo.
graphical Society took place at their rooms, In
Second avenue. Mr.. Chief Justice Charles p DAILY
occupied the chair. number OF applicants for
membership to the society were elected and some
amendments TO the bylaws OF the society were
proposed. The Chair then announced that General
Simpson. OF the United States Engineers, had con-.
sented to deliver lecture Tuesday next, on the
subject OF the Aztec ruins in Mexico with an ac-
count OF the march OF De Camado In search OF the
seven cities OF SIbylla IN 154O Judge DAILY then
said - .
at mas become my duty here to mention the sad
event OF the week, the death OF Agassz. We can
here only indulge in the common grief at his de-
parture from our midst, while we must deplore ie
as national loss. Louis Agassiz was one OF the
most distinguished philosophers Of the age. and his
discovery OF the glacial theory must place him i'm
this positions for while there has been great doubt
and controversy on this subject, 1t Is generally
accepted that at one time vast portions OF the
tinents Of Europe and America were covered with
ice. This great discovery came to him while ex-
plorIng the glaciers OF his native Switzerland But
not alone that An eminent man many years ago,
he HOEORED Us
by making this country the neld OF his activity,
His own acquisitions were extraordinary, and his
own influence on other nations and States was
great in many ways. ! do not know Of any man
living who can take his place. He was a man who
possessed magnetic powers. II our country has
been raised during late years in scientific knOwl
edge, it owes more to Agassiz than to any man we
have possessed. He was one OF the great scientific
Of the age who main tanned his belief in great
presiding Cause over this universe-in other words,
in the existence OF that God whom men have w0r-
shipped since they were born the earth. In this
he agreed with Newton who said that he had
ence Of Higher Beng. Agassiz, though dead
may still be said to be living"
resolutions upon the part Of the SOCIETY," expressnS
regret at the death OF Louis Agassiz. ,.s,...
Mr. Samuel B. Ruggles paid short tribute to the
Mr.. Paul B. Du Chailu, the traveller, at the re-
quest OF the chair said few words, remarKtng
OF Norway, where he had been q long time. He
said he went as high as 70 degrees north, and ex.
that taught Greek, Latin, all the higher branches
OF mathematics, &C., at the expense Of the state,
DAYLIGHT EXISTED uNrNrRRRuprEpLY
or SIX y months m In the year. as an sqqabs m
himself and hsd learned
much.
and gave q very eloquent and glowing description
of his travels through the Caucasus, one OF the
most romantic lands In the world.
description OF the Caucasian range as whole. He
then proceeded to consider In detail the mountains
their physical geography. The Eastern Caucasus.
he said, comprised the region known to Russian
in its name M Was Of ts
character for although not the highest 1t was one
of the most rugged and broken portions OF the
whole Caucasian range. In area 1t was about
equal to one-third OF the State Of New York, and
from side to side and from end to end twas MOTH
ing but mountains precipices, gorges and pro-
found ravlnes. The lecturer sketched In rapid out
line the geography ana the
GEOLOGICAL FORMATION OF THE COUNTRY,
drew on the blackboard transverse section OF the
Caucasian range through Daghestan and gave it
were only the ruins OF an ancient plateau or i'm
mense inclined plane, which had been cut TO pieces
features or Daghestan were, he sad its fat-topped
ridges OF truncated-cone shaped mountains and
Its profoundly deep valleys raynes and gorges.
wide at bottom, and,were shut In BY walls, which
rose sharply sometimes perpendicuarly, to heights
OF 1000 and 5000 ieet, broken occasionally into
terraces by thick strata OF limestone. They were
tremendous galleries. which looked as II an army
on siege operations against the granite ramparts
OF the great range ITSELF He then described the
THE DAenEsTAN MoUNTAINEERs
who were made up. he said, OF almost every ma
tionaiy aSv known uon.o,s to ancient astoryGreeas
ments OF every race and people which had ever
crossed the Caucasus, as well as hosts Of fugitives
who had ned to these mountains seeking refuge
from persecution. Az the present time they are,
as q class, brave, hardy, semi-barb8rons people,
pearance, but alike In character and united In
their devotion to liberty The speaker then retired
for Q few moments and reappeared dressed In the
brilliant costume OF the Caucasian mountaineers,
and wearing numerous silver mounted weapons,
he said, was the appearance Of the Is monntaineers
who acted as an escort to his party IN Dagheg-
@ yhch ney a. vt s sroas
and warlike ceremonies, large parties OF noun
taineers frequently charging out Of the village
tag a mr. md fri iYGp
pistol shots over their heads as they came and
hnally stopping abruptly at distance OF 10 or IS
through the mountains are mere shelflike paths
running in zigZags up and down the sides OF prectp
e O.
the mountain settlements, buils like eagles nests
on s % OF con
be easily defended. They were built OF stone, had
no windows except portholes without glass and IN
bad weather were very gloomy. The innabitants sub
sisted themselves by keeping large nOcks Of sheep
and goats and by cultvating little rye, wheat or
land, however, was very scarce, and to subslst
themselves The mountaineers finally began 70
make
into the fertile valley Of Georgia, on the s0uth
Ss 81 ne e hsd
sword OF DamOces, suspended from the snowy
heights OF the Caucasus over the lowlands on the
south side OF the range and when that sword fell
II Redeemed the clear streams OF Georgia with the
best Christian blood and filed the sunny valleys OF
the Alazan ana the kO0r with the smoke OF burn
ing villages. The population of Daghestan, he
said, was about AGO. 900; OF Its composition some
idea could be obtained from its languages and da-
lects or which there were no less than q. There
was one settlement called InnOOkh-a settlement
OF only 2s houses which had language Of its own
not spoken by any other tribe In the Caucasus.
None Of these languages had ever been written.
The political organizations OF the mountaineers
were or two Klnds-hereditary khanates and free
communities.u The khans governed about $4,000
OF the population, the free communities embraced
about 215,000. These free communities were simply
republics In their most primitive form, ruled BY
general assemblies elected by popular vote. He
tn en- gave an account OF the mOuntalneers' laws,
l inuc CTR fiuy N wi q hacc iuf nj