which can oblige Russia to tolerate such hostilities. It appears then, that the cession of Anapa and Poty to the Russians, ought to be the first condition of a reconciliation and of a permanent peace between the Emperor of Russia and the Divan." Vol. i.

p. 55.

M. Gamba, perhaps, forgets that in Circassia, Georgia and Imerithia, Turkey considers Russia as having encroached upon her sovereign jurisdiction; that within the last half century, she has seen this power subdue her dependent allies in Crim Tartary and the Crimea-advance her banners successively to the Bog, to the Dneister, to the Pruth; that even now her troops are ready mounted to advance to the Danube, and it remains to be ascertained, whether the Danube itself will offer a permanent boundary to her dominions. When a nation moves forward so rapidly, it must sometimes happen that she will leave behind some fortress or some work that may soon be coveted, "pour l'arrondissement" of her territory, and may appear to afford a just cause for future hostilities. In the present case, however, humanity may wish the Russians to repossess these territories. Such has been the condition of the Caucasian tribes for the last ten or twelve hundred years, perhaps, for many more, so wretched among themselves, so useless to the human race, that we should not regret to see them, for a time at least, subjected to the powerful dominion of Russia. If they could once be taught to lie down without a sword in their hand, or a carbine under their pillow, if they could sleep without dreaming of to-morrow's "foray," and rise up to other pursuits than the execution of their midnight visions, another generation might soon arise in this beautiful country, with new habits, and peace and plenty and gladness be seen in their habitations. Mountainous regions offer, it is true, more security than plains to a lawless banditti; but their inhabitants are, naturally, neither more wild nor more ferocious. The vallies of the Alps are as secluded, the ridges as steep and as impracticable, the mountain ranges are as extensive, and their gorges as impenetrable, as those of the Caucasus itself—yet, within those vallies are found the most orderly, the most industrious, the most moral, we believe, the most happy peasantry in Europe. No where could a stranger pass with more perfect security-woe be to him who, without a military escort, should attempt to traverse the vallies of the Caucasus.

"During our residence at Soukoum, we expressed to the commandant our wish to make an excursion into the country-he consented willingly, and took the precautions necessary for our safety. Our escort consisted of two hundred men, of whom, one party served as scouts to ascertain

if any ambush was prepared for us. The country that we visited, was admirable for its fertility, and the fine vegetation of its shrubs and trees, among which we particularly remarked beautiful walnut trees and fig trees of surprising height. Vallies and hills succeeded each other-we saw every where abundant springs, limpid brooks, and all the circumstances which constitute the most magnificent landscapes.

"We advanced about one league into the country, to the crest of a chain of mountains of moderate elevation, from whence we perceived a village of some extent, whose houses, as is common in Mingrelia, were separated from one another. Not being able to visit this village without danger, we returned to Soukoum, after having consumed five hours in our excursion." Vol. i. p. 80.

And this at the head of two hundred men, in a district nominally subjected to Russia.

The coast of Circassia possesses no good harbours. Anapa is but an open road. Soudjouk-kalè, Ghelintchik, and Pschad, at the distance of 8, 23 and 38 leagues from Anapa, are scarcely better. The Turks had troops at these ports, but have withdrawn them, and concentered their establishments at Anapa.

At Ghelintchik, a Mr. Scassi, a Genoese, distinguished for his intelligence and activity, undertook to civilize the Circassians by means of commerce-his project was zealously adopted by the Duc de Richelieu.—“For many years Governor-General of Southern Russia, and engaged in continual hostility with these mountaineers, this nobleman had discovered among them, in spite of an unruly love of pillage, sentiments often elevated; and he believed that their continual incursions arose less from a warlike spirit, and the facility with which they could retire into inaccessible mountains, than from the excessive misery which they endured, since they had been confined to their own territory, and since, from the want of foreign commerce, they had no market for the produce of the chase or of their forests."

This project was defeated by the disorderly conduct of some persons engaged in the enterprise, and, we fear, military occupation must precede any successful efforts for the civilization of this country.

"All the territory along the south-western coast of Circassia is remarkable for its fertility and the rich vegetation of the forests with which it is covered. The climate is temperate in the mountains, warm on the plains, and generally salubrious. If some points of the coast are unwholesome, we must ascribe this rather to the carelessness of man, and to his want of foresight, than to the nature of the country." Vol. i. p. 55.

About eight leagues from Pschad, is the boundary between Circassia and Abazie. The coast of Abazie, as of Circassia, offers no good harbour; roads or bays, whose projecting capes

afford some protection against the north wind, are generally used, though some, in the opinion of M. Gamba, might, by artificial means, be made secure. Soubaschi, Mamai, Ardler, are the first that occur in passing from Circassia. Near Ardler is the celebrated defile of Gagra. It is situated between the sea and the precipitous termination of a very lofty mountain. "With a good fortress, five hundred men could defend the Southern Abazie against all the power of the northern tribes of Caucasus.' This position ought, says M. Gamba, to fix the attention of the Government of Russia; and its possession is among the first measures it should adopt, if it wishes definitively to pacify or subjugate the nation of Caucasus, who, for ten years, have been in a state of constant hostility on some portion of its frontiers.

Pitzunda and Soukoum-kalè are the finest bays on this coast, the former might, with some expense, be made a magnificent harbour. In its neighbourhood, are seen the ruins of an ancient monastery, of which the following story is told.

"This monastery, abandoned in consequence of an invasion of the Circassians, is, for the inhabitants of this country, Mussulmen as well as Armenians, an object of fear and veneration. The furniture, the ornaments of the Church, the books left in the monastery, have hitherto been respected. No Abassian, no Turk, no Armenian, drawn to Pitzunda by commerce, would dare to lay on them a sacrilegious hand. In 1821, an Armenian having taken away two sheets of one of these books, written in a character unknown to him, had scarcely returned to Soukoum-kalè, where he dwelt, than he was attacked by fever, and he did not fail to ascribe it to the irreligious theft which he had committed. Nevertheless, the fever continued, and as it was, without any doubt, nourished by fear, it ceased as soon as he had determined to replace in the monastery the two stolen leaves. This event, reported with all the circumstances and the additions calculated to increase the wonder, has contributed to confirm, for many years, this preserving faith." Vol. i. p. 71.

Soukoum-kalè is a convenient bay, capable of being rendered a secure harbour. It occupies the position of the celebrated Dioscurias, where, in the days of Strabo, Mr. Gamba assures us, the Romans maintained a hundred and thirty-four

This is one of the many examples of misquotations and traditionary errors with which compilations usually abound. Strabo says nothing respecting the interpreters, he merely states, what would be nearly accurate at the present day, that the market of Dioscurias was the emporium of many idle tribes who dwelt in the neighbourhood-amounting, according to some, to seventy, according to others, to three hundred distinct hordes, speaking different languages because they live apart and, on account of their insolence and fierceness, carry on no commerce with each other. Most of them are Sarmatians, but all inhabit the Caucasusεμπορείον τῶν υπερκειμένων, και συνέγγυς ἐθνῶν κοινόν. Συνέρχεσθαι γοῦν εἰς αυτήν ἑβδομήκοντα, οἱ δὲ καὶ τρίακόσια ἔθνη φασὶν, οἷς οὐδὲν τῶν ὄντων μέλει,

interpreters to transact their business. It is about 75 leagues from Redoute-kalè, the principal port which the Russians hold on this coast, but no road has yet been constructed to unite them. Out of its walls, as we have already noticed, there is no security. The soldiers when they go out to cut wood, march with arms in their hands-yet the Abassians come into the place freely. They are obliged, however, to deposit their arms before they enter the fort-but they resume them as soon as they leave it.

The population of Soukoum-kalè was, in 1787, three thousand souls, it is now reduced to about sixty Armenians.

Soukoum-kalè is the principal of those fortresses which have been retained contrary to the treaty of 1812, and which are constantly reclaimed by the Turks; Anagri and Redoute-kalè are the others.

The inhabitants of Abazie are generally Mahometans. Their country is extremely fertile, and adapted to the culture of cotton, tobacco and indigo. Madder and the vine are every where found in their native state-yet furs and some wax are the only articles commerce can procure in this district. From the milk of their cows, some white, salted cheese is made, but neither the inhabitants of Abazie, nor of any part of Colchos, know how to make butter.

"The art of building boats is better understood on the coast of Cir cassia and Abazie, than at the Phasis. At Soukoum-kalè, we saw on the shore three of these boats, to which, in the time of Strabo, they gave the name of Cameræ, and which then, as now, were manned by a great number of pirates. These boats mount twenty-four oars. It was in similar barks that, in the third and fourth century, the Goths traversed the Euxine." Vol. i. p. 89.

"These people, in the midst of their ignorance and barbarity, do not want intelligence, and are susceptible of making a rapid progress in civilization. Anger, revenge and avarice, are their dominant passions, but these arise in a great measure from the state of suffering and privation in which they live. Having neither commerce nor industry, they want often the absolute necessaries of life. This situation must roughen their character, and have a great influence on their manners.

παντα δὲ ἑτερόγλωττα, διὰ την σποράδην, καὶ ἀμίκτως οἰκεῖν, καί ὑπὸ αὐθαδιάς, καί ἀγριότητος. Σαρμάται δ ̓ ἐισὶν οἱ πλείες· πάντες δὲ καί Καυκάσιοι.—Strab. 1. xi. p. 598. Pliny is the real reporter of this tale. He prefaces it, however, by saying, "Urbe Colchorum Dioscuriade-nunc deserta." He then adds, "qu ndam adeo clara, ut Timosthenes in eam CCC. nationes, quæ dissimilibus linguis uterentur descendere prodiderit. Et postea a nostris CXXX. interpretibus negotia ibi gesta.Plin. Nat. His. lib. vi. c. 5. The multitude of dialects will surprise no one who has noticed the condition of the country even in modern times.

"If a regular administration should supersede the anarchy and oppression which exists in Abazie-if, to the inaction of the inhabitants, could be substituted a life of employment-if they could obtain for their labour, wages that would give them some support, a few years would suffice to change, entirely, the moral condition of these people." Vol. i. p. 91.

M. Gamba adds, that where employment has been offered them, they have been found willing to labour, even for the smallest recompense.

Along the coast of Abazie and Mingrelia, fish are very abundant. In the rivers are taken sturgeons, salmon, soudags, herring of a small size, but well flavoured, and the Cephalo, a fish rather rare, and in great demand in the Mediterranean. It is with the roe of this fish, that the kind of caviar is prepared, which is called poutargue. To preserve it, they enclose it in wax, and in this condition it may be sent to India.

Redoute-kalè, where our traveller disembarked, is the port through which the Russians keep up their maritime intercourse with Mingrelia and Imerithia. It is situated on the Khopi, as the occupation of Poty by the Turks, has closed the entrance of the Phasis. The sand brought down the river has formed a dangerous bar at its mouth, so that the frigate was obliged to anchor in the open road. If this bar can be removed, Khopi will then form the safest and most convenient harbour for merchant vessels along this coast. The Khopi traverses the plain of Mingrelia; in its direct course, it scarcely exceeds fifty miles in length, as it rises in secondary ridges of the mountains, and, consequently, has not the rapidity of the Phasis. Its mouth is only three leagues from that of the Phasis, and it has been proposed to connect these two streams by a canal, which shall leave the Phasis a few miles above the Turkish fortress. Probably, however, the Russians consider this occupation of Poty as only temporary, and wait on time to remove this barrier.

"Three years ago the population of Redoute-kalè consisted of one hundred and fifty merchants, who occupied about thirty houses. At present, there are more than a hundred houses, and the population exceeds four hundred inhabitants-most of these have their families in the towns and villages of Mingrelia and Imerithia.

"The air of this place is very unhealthy, but this insalubrity would certainly disappear, if the marshes which surround the market could be drained, the banks of the river raised to restrain inundation, and by clearing the forests, the rains could be lessened which fall there in abundance, because the clouds driven in by the sea breezes, are arrested by the forests that cover Mingrelia.