in; Tht Caucasian Mmntame and their Inhabitants. 



subjected to the ordinary course of justice, nor to any our 

 landlord that will make them answerable to the laws, but 

 commonly dwelling on sundry men's lands against the 

 good-will of their landlords, where through true men 

 oppressed by them can have no reineid at the hands of 

 their masters, but for their defense are -oftentimes con- 

 strained to seek redress of their skaiths of the hail- clan, 

 or such of them as they happen to apprehend. Likewise the 

 hail-clan commonly bears feud for the hurt received by any 

 member thereof, whether by execution of laws, or order of 

 justice, or otherwise." The highland clans are often 

 spoken of as a feudal institution. * "All 



feudality has a relation to lands from the serf, bound to 

 the soil, through the free vassal who possesses it, up to 

 the superior or feudal lord, who commands services out 

 of it. The descent of all rights connected with it is 

 hereditary. Among the highbinders, on the other hand, 

 the relation was patriarchical, and had no connection 

 with the land, save as the common dwelling place of the 

 tribe." 



The clans of the Caucasus were divided into five classes, 

 though their common miseries, misfortunes and dangers, 

 have done much, I think, towards obliterating the lines 

 of distinction between them. The first class embraces 

 the chiefs or princes, who are sometimes eminent as 

 religious teachers. Schamyl, for instance, among this 

 people, and Abdel-Kader among the African Arabs. 

 Then follow the nobles, common freemen, dependents 

 and slaves. Common freemen compose the large ma- 

 jority, have the same political rights as the nobles, and 

 hold properly. The dependents serve their lords, or 

 master.-, who have no right over their persons, and cannot 

 sell them, unless proved guilty of some crime, by the 

 decision of a properly constituted assembly. The fifth 

 class are those who have been captured in war and are 



