2 Recent Overland Journey to India. 
fertile to a degree beyond any thing 
I have eyer witnessed in a state of na- 
ture, and the mountains of Alpine 
height. 
Our road over the Caucasian range 
followed the course of the river Terek, 
a stream that precipitates itself from 
rock to rock, and rushes with the ra- 
pidity and roar of a mighty torrent, 
under the light, narrow, and tremulous 
bridges, over which the traveller has 
to pass on horseback: in any other 
situation I should have hesitated, and 
shrunk from the trial; but here there 
was no alternative, since to remain 
“‘was worse than to go o’er.” From 
Mosdok our journey was on horseback, 
and continued so through Armenia, 
Georgia, and Persia, a distance of 
about 1600 miles. 
Circassia is inhabited by tribes of 
mountaineers, more .wild than the 
almost inaccessible hills which they 
possess; and at the same time they 
are brave and ferocious, and good 
horsemen. War, interminable war, 
they have declared against all man- 
kind; and the Russians, with all their 
military power, can do no more than 
maintain a chain of posts, through the 
couniry from Mosdok onward to Vladi, 
Caucas, Dariel, and Kasbeg. No tra- 
veller dare venture onward without a 
guard similar to the one I have men- 
tioned ; and if he falls into the rear, 
even for a few minutes, he runs a risk 
of being carried off by the savage 
mountaineers. Nothing, on the other 
hand, can equal the kindness and 
friendly hospitality of the Russian ge- 
neral and field-ofticers in command of 
districts and forts, on our route. I 
was made welcome to their tables and 
houses, and introduced without reserve 
to their families; in short, there was 
nothing I could in reason ask that was 
not readily granted. What surprised 
them most, was to see a field-oflicer, 
after twenty years of actual service, 
and severely wounded, without the 
insignia of any military order. In the 
Russian service, every officer faith- 
fully serving his country for twenty- 
five years, without ever being brought 
to.trial, is entitled to claim the insig- 
nia of the order of St. George, exclu- 
sive of any other awarded for a parti- 
cular service, such as the taking of a 
colour, the capture of a piece of can- 
non, &c. 
At Novo Tzerkask, I had the good 
fortune to be present ata féte given in 
honour of the anniversary of the Em- 
[Aug 1, 
peror’s birth-day. At 8 a.m. I attend- 
ed General Chernicheff’s levee, at 
which were present all the Cossack 
officers of the Don, At 10 A.M. we 
attended the church service, at which 
from eighteen to twenty priests, dress- 
ed in robes of great cost and magnifi- 
cence, officiated ; from their reverend 
appearance, their long hair and beards, 
the veil (as it is called,) of the temple 
being drawn and undrawn, the cross- 
ings, prostrations, &c. the Greek ser- 
vice has a most dramatic appearance, 
beyond that of any Catholic church 
even of Italy. 
At Naon, on the same day, the Don 
Cossack officers and men all assem- 
bled in a circle outside the church, 
with the colours of their respective 
regiments unfurled; an officer then 
read aloud, from a book, their respec- 
tive privileges, grants, and rights, with 
the edicts issued in their favour, as 
well as any new one, emanating from 
the present government. ‘The soldiers 
then proceed to along range of ta- 
bles, where dinner was provided for 
them. The Emperor's health was 
drank by men and officers under a 
salute of guns, and then that of the 
Don Cossacks. At 1P.M. there was a 
sumptuous dinner at the Attaman’s, or, 
as he is called in England, the Het- 
man’s of the Don Cossacks; to which I 
had the honour of being invited. 
There were two tables of thirty covers, 
a good dinner in the Russian style, 
and excellent wines of the Don and 
of France: about eight Cossack ladies 
were present. In the evening there 
was also an illumination, fireworks, 
and a ball and supper, given by Gen. 
Czernicheff to the Cossack officers 
and their ladies. Dancing com- 
menced with a Polish dance; then 
English country-dances, quadrilles, 
waltzing, and another Polish dance, 
called Muzurka, made up of a qua- 
drille, waltzing, and many other min- 
gled figures ; it is to me the most lively 
and pleasing dance Lever saw, This 
day altogether (the ilth of Septem- 
ber,) was one of uncommon interest. 
General C. is a most gallant man, and 
was the life of the party, although of 
the highest rank, and possessing vice- 
regal powers. 
_The Cossack militia of the Don are> 
estimated at 60,000; they were trans- 
planted some considerable time ago, 
by an imperial order, from the banks 
of the Dnieper to those of the Don, 
and lands were assigned them on a 
military 
