104 Ike Caucasian MotmUans and their Inhabitants. 



This expedition was a failure, as most of the kind wore; 

 the Russians retreating with great loss ; and, from what 

 has been said, it is easy to see why this should be so, and 

 why for so many long weary years, numbers of these 

 mountain tribes have maintained their independence. 



In connection with one of these raids in the earliest 

 years of the invasion I will relate a story. In the villages 

 generally, it had been noised abroad that the Russians in 

 large force had left Tin* is and were ascending the great 

 military road which led up into, and through the centre 

 of their territory. This was enough to rouse every native, 

 and horses and arms were at once looked to, and every 

 thing gotten ready for fight or flight, but no signal first 

 had yet been lighted to give them positive warning, or 

 summon them to some preconcerted rendezvous. Watch- 

 ers were placed at every available point, and scouts sent 

 out. Finally, when the invaders had proceeded about 

 twenty miles, they turned from the main road and entered 

 a by-way. This indicated the quarter or district that was 

 to be attacked, and from the highest peak of that region 

 soon blazed the first signal fire, that ere long was re- 

 sponded to from far and near, till the heavens reflected 

 the blaze of a thousand warning lights. It was immedi- 

 ately agreed upon, that the villages should be deserted by 

 all the men, and that the women were to entertain the 

 enemy courteously wherever they came, and thus avoid, 

 if possible, the burning of their houses. The first town 

 entered by the Russians was to them the most unfor- 

 tunate one they could have encountered, for it was more 

 famed for the beauty of its females than any other from 

 the Euxine to the Caspian. The colonel commanding 

 the troops, and all the minor officers, were utterly bewil- 

 dered, and allowed themselves to linger over such enter- 

 tainments as the fairest of the fair could hastily provide 

 for them. In the meantime the Circassians were gather- 



