The Caucasian Mountains and their Inhabitants. 105 



ing in the rear of the Russians from every quarter. A 

 consultation was finally held by the officers of the invading 

 force — themselves the willing captives — and the questions 

 which naturally arose were these : " Can we with any sort of 

 honor, burn the humble homes of these peerless creatures 

 who have so heartily welcomed us ? Should we proceed fur- 

 ther into the interior of the country when we are assured that 

 every village like this has been deserted ? Can we fight and 

 overcome an enemy where none is to be found ? Negative 

 answers very naturally followed, and when further delay 

 would have exhibited a too apparent weakness of charac- 

 ter, a retreat was sounded. Then the long and almost 

 interminable line of the Russian forces began to rethread 

 its way down the narrow gorges whence it had come. 

 When the last of the column had left the town, and the 

 colonel for the tenth time had bid adieu to the most 

 gorgeous of the gorgeous Circassian belles, a signal gun 

 was fired which found an echo in the hearts of the thou- 

 sands of mountaineers who lay concealed along the way 

 of the uow careless, unsuspicious, receding troops ; and 

 had the escarpments of rocks on either hand closed upon 

 them they could not have been enervated more effectually 

 than they were, when from every acclivity, every crag and 

 ravine, hot, flaming, hissing missiles of death descended 

 like a shower of hail upon their devoted ranks. Escape 

 was impossible. Those in the rear could only push for- 

 ward by trampling on those in front, and those in front 

 were shot down so rapidly, that the ravine was bridged 

 with the dead. 



When I was in Africa a similar expedition was set on 

 foot by Marshal Randon against the Kabyls of the Atlas. 

 This was successful, for the commander pitched his tent 

 upon the plains and sent the Zouaves to assail the heights, 

 and the segis of beauty threw no fictitious shadow over 

 the slaughter. 



[Trans. vi.~\ 14 



