The Caucasian Mountains and their Inhabitants. 101 



arises from the habit of leaving off their slippers when 

 they seat themselves upon a rug on the floor, or upon a 

 divan where they draw their feet up in front of them 

 somewhat a la Turque. Toes, you would probably say, 

 are not a very poetical theme, yet I can imagine that a 

 young enthusiastic poet could and would write many a 

 welcome verse on these little, despised, imprisoned, 

 appendages — this wondrous fringe to our pedal extremi- 

 ties — had he but one glimpse of them in their untor- 

 mented license of action, in their blushing freedom, one 

 view of their sculptured perfections, of their dainty 

 dimpled physiognomy as they peep from under folds of 

 ample drapery of oriental damsels ; but I am not aware 

 that in Circassia they are ornamented with rings of gold, 

 as are those of Armenian ladies, at least in India. 



In the smaller villages of the mountains, the dames go 

 abroad unveiled, but in the large towns they are en- 

 veloped from head to foot, usually in a blue striped cotton 

 garment kept in place and made to conceal, in part, the 

 face by being held in the mouth. Yellow morocco boots 

 complete the visible street costume. 



This out-door garb, you can imagine, is anything but at- 

 tractive ; makes the wearers what their fathers, husbands 

 and masters wish them to be, undistinguishable, perambu- 

 lating monuments of other peoples' personal property. But 

 when one of these ladies is richly attired, and has a little 

 vanity — and who of us has not? she is apt to allow (by 

 accident of course) one or both sides of her uncouth 

 covering to slip from her lips, and thus give to the passer 

 by a view of her elegant costume beneath. The head- 

 dress of this class, when within doors, is generally a close- 

 fitting crimson cloth cap embroidered with gold thread or 

 bordered with a band of small gold or silver coin. 



The attire of the men is not less picturesque, and when 

 we contemplate their fine forms, their manly bearing, 



