, 1877-06-30
THE CiRCASssaNS.
so,ncshJsg Abous Eie Inhabitants oi
Caucasus.

Popular language giFes Inc name
nf Circassiaus To all the tribes OF ihe
J Caucasus and speak ot them as one
,yotle. This Is not 80. Some are
| CHRISTIANS ani some are Muhamhe-
dans; ,orue are subject TO ihe sacTa-
,io,al rule Of prul,het warriors, win'e
pliers are republican muunianee's;
s,ia- have Welded 30 lie temptation
q. Russian bri0es, whilst others. aud
this the largest parI, have wholly re
sisted the lemra,iuD and the rela
lions between The several uIbrs are III
many cases far from friendly lar
kew has never expressed any great &c
Sire To become possessed OF The Can-
ca>mS, and. were she ey,n 20 do 50, 'he
form Of government proposed by the
Porte woald mol bes ,ondue've 10 the
peace aud trsrquilIIy OF the dlstrlc
Attic present moment the Inha6l-
tants of D4ghestan, The province which
gave birth 10 the heroic Sehainyl, are,
and always have been, at war with
Russia. The other bil! tribes OF Ihe
Caucasus inhlbit districts over which
there is 10 fixed government, ami con
seauent.y there Is a difficulty IN treat
ing with them. Each chief Is some-
thing like a Highland laird of The ui>
den time, aud in his own territory Is
indeperdent Of all control, even under
The all powerful and beloved ochamyl'
makes them doubtful allies when re-
moved from their mountain homes.
The principal Tribes that ,nbabit the
Caucasus are the CircaSslans, who Oc
cupy that portion Of the mountain
country south and west Ut the sources
Of the river kuban-pla;eau and
gorges between the rugged PEAKS,
scarcely accessible 10 any but noun
,aineers: and the Lgsshians, who
dwell principally among the moun>
taius situated east and south OF the
source of the Terek. As the kuban
rises near the foot Of Mount Eibruz.
and The Tereck near that OF the kI>-
bek, these Two mOun.alns may Uouye-
nienily marx the limits OF the respect
i've countries OF the Two tribes. The
whole country from the KlSbek to the
Caspian is otlen called DaghesFan,
and it is here that the main struggle
has been carried on between Russia
aud tie mountaineerS. The portion
of Daghestan under the more immedl
ale control of The Lesghlans is de
scribed as being fianked on the north
with dense turess of magnificent
beecheS F.; twiuiug creeperS 6lud the
tees together, and vast boulders
stripped by thousands Of winters trcm
the granite and poTphyry of the upper
ranges, and borne along by fierce
mountain torrents to the valleys and
passes which tOrm their beds, afford
every advantage 10 the lightly equirp
ed mOuntaineer, every obstacle TO an
invading force. The interior Of the
country is yet more formidable; it is
one mass OF ridges and IsyineS, at the
bottom of which a brawiing stream,
fed by the SHOWS and rivers Of the up,
per regions, ruSheS down to the river
kaiona or lis atliuents.
The CircaSsian>, OF whom there are
suh-trlbes, the hd!geh, the | Digeh
aud oIEcrs, are Mohammedin>, with
a small admixIure OF Christianity.
Next 10 them are the AbaSlars, more
Jealous Mohammedans, who are now
in open revolt; next tie OSstles or
O>setIans, small Christian tribe,
which ;he cZarS began, on this account
TO protect, and brought the priests
INTO their pay; whilst 10 the eastward
OF these are the T.ne'cheneS and the
LesghIans, all fierce believers in IS
lam. Against this coantry the czars
have sent the following generals
Y ermelotf, Paskewick, GorIschakolf,
the two Viliirminoffs, RoseD, Rajews
ki, Aurep, Galovine, Grabbe and Wo
ronzoi, bat all have failed in subdr
iug the bold mouniaineers. Even in
time of peace Russia has To maintain
an army in Georgia and M;ngrelia OF
$4,000 men, and, according TO her
own returns, 10000 of these are swept
off yearly by disease or warfare. The
population Of the Caucasus is 1500,-
600, but only 10000 fighting men are
ever available as one spot at a given
time.
Such, ;hen, is TIE country that Gen.
MelIkoif has in his rear, and should
the pass of Darrell, which commands
the road to Titlis from Kislar on
the Caspian, be taken, the main ar
lery of communication with the Don
provinces and the Caspian will be Gu,
off. As We write the Caucasus is in
arms for the Sultan; and although
they do not admire the Turk, yet they
cordially detest the Russians.