CAUCASUS, a vast chain of mountains in Western Asia, commencing to the south of the fortress of Kopil, at the mouth of the river Kuban, which falls into the Black Sea, and, after running to the south, traverses Mingrelia in an easterly direction to the town of Georgiefsk, and the source of the river Kuma. Here the ridge, diverging towards the south, enters Georgia near the source of the river Kur, and afterwards taking an easterly course, runs along the western shores of the Caspian Sea, and through the Persian provinces of Daghestan and Schirvan; and thence penetrating Ghilan, is connected with the Hindoo Coosh Mountains, a branch of the great Himalaya chain. The mountains of Causasus are not, however, understood to extend beyond the isthmus that lies between the Black and the Caspian Seas. In this restricted sense, the length of the chain is calculated at 644 miles, but its breadth is various; from Mosdok to Tiflis, however, it is computed at 184 miles. This region is described by Sir R. Ker Porter as exhibiting nature in her most sublime aspect of rude and terrific grandeur. In many parts it is one continued chain of precipices, or of craggy and impassable mountains, in which the mountain torrent is seen tumbling in cataracts over rocks, or roaring and foaming in the dark and unfathomable abysses through which it makes its way in its progress to the plains. At other times the dreadful avalanche, descending from the mountains, spreads death and desolation around. These awful phenomena of nature are often exhibited in the mountains of Caucasus on a tremendous scale. Vast masses of snow falling from the mountains obstruct the torrents, until they gradually accumulate, and, bursting through with the most fearful desolation, ravage and destroy all that occurs in their course. In other parts these mountains stretch out into level plains. This great ridge is divided into two parallel chains, the highest summits of which rise to an elevation, according to a Russian measurement, of 16,000 and 17,000 feet. The Elburz, which is on the western declivity, is 16,700 feet high; and the Casibeg is 17,388 feet in height. The highest summits of these mountains are covered with perpetual snow and ice; the lower parts are clothed with thick forests. There are two passes into these mountains, which, from their narrowness, are called gates; namely, the Caucasian Pass, and the Albanian or Caspian Pass. This great chain of mountains is the dividing ridge between the rivers which run with an easterly course to the Caspian Sea, and those which flow west into the Black Sea. The Terek, on the northern declivity, flows into the former; while the Kuban, on the southern declivity, flows into the latter; and beyond these rivers the mountains by degrees decline into the sandy plains of Southern Russia. On the southern declivity the Kur and the Rioni flow respectively into the Caspian and Black Seas; and beyond these rivers are seen the mountain chains of Turkish and Persian Armenia, which connect the Caucasus with the other chains of Western Asia. The southern declivity of these mountains is highly fertile, abounding in forests and fountains, orchards, vineyards, corn-fields, and pastures, in rich variety. Grapes, chestnuts, figs, &c. grow spontaneously in these countries; as well as grain of every description, rice, cotton, hemp, &c. But the inhabitants are barbarous and indolent. They consist of mountain tribes, remarkably ferocious, whose delight is in war, and with whom robbery is a hereditary trade; and their practice is to descend from their fastnesses, and to sweep every thing away from the neighbouring plains, not only grain and cattle, but men, women, and children, who are carried into captivity. The names of the different tribes are the Georgians, Abassians, Lesghians, Ossetes, Circassians, Taschkents, Khists, Ingooshes, Cha-rabulaks, Tartars, Armenians, Jews, and in some parts wandering Arabs. They are mostly barbarous in their habits, and idolatrous in their religion, worshipping stars, mountains, rocks, and trees. There are among them Greek and Armenian Christians, Mahommedans, and Jews. Several of the tribes, particularly the Circassians and Georgians, are accounted the handsomest people in the world; and the females are much sought after by the eastern monarchs, to be immured in their harams. The inhabitants amount to about 900,000, who are partly ruled by petty sovereigns, and partly by their seniors. The most famous are the Lesghians, who inhabit the eastern regions, and, living by plunder, are the terror of the Armenians, Persians, 'Turks, and Georgians. Their sole occupation is war; and their services can at any time be purchased by' every prince in the neighbourhood for a supply of provisions and a few silver rubles. Since the extension of the Russian empire in this quarter, many of these mountain tribes have been restrained in their predatory habits. Under the iron rule of that powerful state they have been taught to tremblĉ and obey; military posts have been dispersed over the country, fortresses have been erected, towns have arisen, and commerce and agriculture begin slowly to supplant the barbarous pursuits of war and plunder, in which these mountain tribes have hitherto been engaged. But the work of civilization in these wild regions is still slow; it is difficult to reclaim the people from their long-settled habits of violence and disorder; and it would not be safe for any traveller to pass alone through the⅞e countries, where he would be exposed to robbery and murder.

All the regions on and about the Caucasus are comprehended under the name of Caucasian countries. They are supposed to extend over an area of 116,078 square miles, and to contain 1,673,500 inhabitants. The provinces which are under the dominion of Russia are six in number, namely, 1st, the province of Tiflis, or Georgia, containing a population of 390,000: 2d , Imiretta, 270,000; 3d, Circassia, 550,000 (here are Russian military posts, to guard against the attacks of the mountain tribes): 4th, Daghestan, or the mountain land, on the Caspian Sea, of which Derbent is the capital, 184,000: 5th, Schirvan, with Bakou, the best harbour on the Caspian, 133,000. In the neighbourhood are the fountains of naphtha to which the [7:6:251]Parsees perform pilgrimages from India. Beyond the Terek, on the northern side of the Caucasus, lies, 6th, the province of Caucasia, which, previously to 1822, was the government of Georgiefsk. Of the inhabitants of this province, amounting to 146,500, 21,000 are Russians, and 48,000 colonists. Here are twenty-two fortified places, among which are Georgiefsk, Kizĥar, a commercial city with a population of 9000, and Alexandrovsk, which form, along with the Kuban, the Kama, and the Terek, defences against the inroads of savage tribes. Since 1825 Stavropol has been the capital of this province. Here is the Scottish missionary station of Kara, founded in 1803, and enlarged by Moravians from Sarepta, with schools and a printing office. Hitherto the efforts of the missionaries have not been very successful in disseminating the Christian faith among the savage tribes. (f.)