Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-07-28
Journeylngs In Europc-..13.

/ fortress OF IitsOunda with our horses heaus
turned mountainwards. Our party con
sisted Of three pcrsons--one Of whom was
Mr.. Russell We had two Abhasian atten-
dants, Ivan, Of whom have already writton,
and Abidge, the owner Of small farm at
Ldza, about two miles from Ptsounda.
Each of our horses had some article attached
TO his saddle. In addition, we had a pack
horse, carrying about one hundred and fifty
pounds.
After leaving the fortress, our way lay over
level ground, covered with grass, and having,
at intervals Of four or five hundred feet,
magnificent shade trees Of walnut aud Span
ish chestnut About four miles from
the sea begins a range of hills, through
which our road lay 10 the mountains beyond
As we rode up the slopes, we had many fine
views of the sea aud the mountains. The
Pitsounda hills ara Of peculiar formation,
about nine hundred or a thousand feet high,
and so disposed that between them are ra-
vines closed, on three sides, with an open
ing 20 the south-perfectly sheltered, aud
!
They are all uncultiyated but some time or
another they will all be covered with vine
yards and tobacco plantations, as both grapes
aud tobacco grow in this region, with per-
feet success. The Pitsounda hills extend
for about twelve miles beyond the coast to a
village called Kadakyara. At this point we
stopped for lunch. Our resting-place was
under the branches Of an immense oak tree ;
near by was spring Of excellent water, IS
suing from the hillside. The horses were
unsaddled, and allowed to Craze for an hour,
during which time we did ample justice to
our stock Of provisions and enjoyed a real
picnic. During the lunch we named two of
the horses. The little horse, who carried
the provisions, was called Mary Ann, and
the horse which Mr.. Russell rode, a young
gray, received the name Of Curtius, in mem
ory Of the celebrated Roman, who, with his
horse, leaped into the gulf Of the Forum.
On the way from Pitsounda, our gray had
jumped into the middle of a deep, muddy
stream, nearly throwing Mr.. Russell over
his head, and it was for this act he received
his new name.
Attracted by the novel sight OF strangers,
a number Of villagers made their appear
ance, aud entered into animated conversation
with our guide, Ivan. Amongst all the Ian
guages Of the Caucasus, the Ahhasian is
remarkable for difficulty Of pronunciation.
There are combinations of sound in this
language which seem TO defy both the ear
and the tongue of the stranger. There Is
no Russian who knows the language, all the
interpreters being either Abhasians, who
have learnt Russian, or Mngrelians; the lat
. ter, however, never master the language
completely, and are inferior translators
! Though Abhasian, as | have stated. is ex
tremely difficult to pronounce, IT contains
some words that are not only easy, but beau
: tiful. viii give few; Amra, the san
Anna, the moon Amshom, the sea Adal
ga, a wave; Alma, forest; Atsla, tree
Abba, the eye The following are the day.
Of the week; Ashakya, Monday Aooash
! Tuesday; Akhash, Wednesday; Aphash
= Thursday; Axooash, Friday Asabush, Sat
urday; Amchush Sunday. Up to the Rus
I sian occupation, the Abhasians had no alpha
bet. In 1862 a committee was appointed il
/ Tinis, for the purpose Of forming one Th
y result Of their labor appeared in 1860, in
4 work Of one volume, printed at Tiflis, an'
T. entitled the Abhasian primer 1t forms al
octave volume Of ono hundred and eighty
eight pages, with an alphabet Of fifty-tw'
I letters; list, of words in Abhasian, Russian
( and Georgian; dialogues stories and prov
( cribs in those three languages, This prime
i is the first, and undoubtedly the last bool
in the Abhasian language. 1t seems 81
a strange to SEQ people Of white race hyinl
/, for centuries on beautiful and rich sea
d coast, without single book in their owl
l. tongue.
: The Abhasians occupy the coast of tn
Black Sea from Gagra to the river lngoor,
n distance of about one hundred aud twent
J. miles Their number is not far from sevent
> thousand The country they inhabit is on
+ Of the richest aud most beautiful on tn
o Caucasus, and yet it would be difficult
n find people living in such primitive wa
q as they do. 1t seems TO be their rule Of lii
d to work as little as possible, and to subsist q
t best they can on the meagre results of thei
IT unwilling labor. They are hospitable, an
= readily share with the traveller whatever pr
!. visions they happen to have at the momer
,e he visits them. They are not vicious people
d crimes of violence arc rare. Their chit
r and darling sin is horse-stealing whic
e they have hitherto looked upon as a prais
=, worthy act After lunch, we continued OF
~ journey over country of great natur
.s beauty, but little cultivated The chit
H. product everywhere was Indian corn. Froi
Is time to time, We came upon herds OF Gov
and flocks of goats. Before us was the grei
m range Of mountains, and behind, the sea.
I'd the evening we arrived at Achandar, Vi
IL lage charmngly situated, near the foot {
re the mountains. We had sent an Abhasia
- y ahead to prepare lodgings for us this he su
al ceeded in doing at the house of the chief I
ie the village, who bore the high-sounding tit
rs of Prince Anckibadze.
er 1t seemed our expected coming had great
'y excited the curiosity of the natives, f
a ~ upon our arrival they had assembled on Il
green to the number Of two hundred, al
with them was the priest of the distriC
After demonstrativc welcome, the Prin'
!, invited us to partake of his hospitality, al
put at our disposal his principal hous
~ .S which consisted of one room. Arrangement
10 had already been made by our Abhasian f
completing our stock Of provisions. lie III
brought lamb, six chickens and turke
4 About eight O'Clock in the evening, supp
" was ready. II consisted of boiled lamb, |
d. dian meal pudding, cheese and bread; Il
sh latter we had brought from Lukhul
nu While we supped, about fifty villagers sto'
" y around the door watching us, and when h
an a., meal was over, the remains of the feast we
ke taken to the kitchen, where they were quie
a. ly dispatched by the hungry crowd. We
lii tired early, in order TO start in good seasC
re- next morning. We had sixty miles
~ travel during the next two days, and hi
n