786 
éspecially the industrious Greeks : 
hence very few young trees are seen 
in their gardens. ‘They also grow 
flax and tobacco, which, as objects 
of culture, are unknown to the 
Tartars of the heaths: with proper 
encouragement, they might probably 
be induced to cultivate the vine, and 
attend to the produétion of silk.— 
On the whole, they are at present 
unprofitable and unworthy inhabi- 
tants of those paradisaical vallies, in 
which they have always shewn them- 
selyes the first and’ most ready to 
‘revolt against the Russian govern- 
ment. ‘These thoughtless people 
even destroy the forests on themoun- 
tains in the most effectual manner, 
partly by their indiscriminate felling 
of trees, and partly by their numer- 
ous herds of goats. In the last war 
with Turkey, they were all ordered 
to dwell at the distance of ten versts 
from the coast, in order to avoid 
the danger arising from their aciing 
as spies and traitors: it would, in- 
deed, be for the general good, to 
remove them entirely from these 
vallies, into the interior of the coun- 
try ; at the same time peopling the 
former with industrious settlers, who 
would contribute to the prosperity 
of the empire, by the cultivation of 
wine, oil, silk, and cotton; which 
will never be attempted by the pre- 
sent inaétive possessors. 
In the costume of the Tartars 
‘ynhabiting the plains there is some 
variety. Young persans,  especi- 
ally those of noble or wealthy fa- 
milies, dress nearly in the Circas- 
sian, Polish, or Kozak fashion, 
with short, or slit sleeves in the 
upper garment. The nobility of 
‘more advanced age wear, like the 
common Tartars, unslit sleeves 5 and 
ld mea suffer the whole beard to 
ANNUAL-REGISTER, 
1803. 
grow; whereas the young and mid+ 
dle-aged have only whiskers. Their 
legs and feet are dressed either in 
half-boots of Morocco or other 
leather, or they use stockings of the 
same material, especially in the 
towns ; over these are worn slip- 
pers, or clogs, for walking abroad ; 
and in dirty weather, a kind of 
stilt-shoes. Their heads are uni- 
formly shaved, or, at least, the hair 
‘is cut away very short, which they 
cover with a high cap, quilted at 
the top with cotton, and generally 
green, being edged with black or 
grey lamb’s skin. ‘This cap is never 
moved by way of compliment: the 
clergy and the aged wear under it 
the fez, or a red, woven calotte.— 
Those who have performed a pil- 
grimage to Mecca, are distinguished 
by a white handkerchief round the 
edge of their cap, such being the 
mark of a hadshi. There are alsa 
in the Crimea some. emirs, who 
wear the green fillet round their 
heads. Among the young nobility, 
however, Circassian caps are the 
most common head-dress. 
The physiognomy of the true 
Tauridan ‘Tartars bears great re- 
semblance to that of the Turks 
and. Kuropeans, There are hand- 
some, tall, robust people among 
them, and few are inclined to cor- 
pulency : their complexion is rather 
fair, and they have black or dark 
brown hair. The boys and youth 
have mostly a pleasing and delicate 
countenance; to which circum. 
stance, together with the restraints 
imposed on women, may, perhaps, 
be attributed the odious propensi- 
ties prevailing here, as well as in 
Turkey and Persia. 
The dress of the Tartar women 
is very diferent from that of the 
N agays 3 = 
