476 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814-. 



ed to sticks of moderate thickness ; 

 Q leaden weight is then fastened to 

 the cylinder by a string which, 

 when it is once set a-going, keeps 

 it with the help of the stick in 

 constant motion. Snch-like prayer- 

 wheels, neatly wrought, are fasten- 

 ed upon short sticks to a small 

 wooden pedestal, and stand upon 

 the altars for the use of pious per- 

 sons. While the prayer-wheel is 

 thus turned round with one hand 

 the devotee takes the rosary in the 

 other, and at the same time repeats 

 penitential psahns. 



A fourth kind of these Kiirda 

 is constructed on the same princi- 

 ple as those which are turned by 

 wind ; only it is somewhat smaller, 

 and the frame is adapted to be bung 

 up by a cord in the chimneys of the 

 habitations or huts of the Mongols. 

 When there is a good fire, they are 

 likewise set in motion by the smoke 

 and the current of air, and conti- 

 nue to turn round as long as the 

 fire is ke^jt up. 



A fifth kind of Kiirda is erected 

 on a small stream of water, upon 

 a foundation like that of a mill, 

 ever which a small house is built 

 to protect it from the weather. — 

 By means of the wheel attaclied to 

 it, and the current, the cylinder is 

 in like manner kept in. a constant 

 circular motion. These water- 

 Kiirda are commonly constructed 

 on a large scale, and maintained 

 at the joint expense of the inhabi- 

 tants of a whole district. They 

 have a reference to all aquatic 

 animals, whether alive or dead, 

 whose temporal and eternal hap- 

 piness is the aim of the writings 

 contained in them : in like man- 

 ner as the object of the fire-Kurda 

 is the salvation of the souls of all 

 animals suffering by fire. 



From the Same. 



THE CKARATSCHAI. 



The Ckaratschai, (that is. Black 

 Rivulet,) not Karautzi, are called 

 by the Tscberkessians Kaischaga 

 Kusch'ha, but by the Mingrelians 

 and Imerethians Karatschioli. By 

 the Tartars they are denominated 

 Ckara-TscherkesSjOr Black Tscber- 

 kessians, because they are subject 

 to that people. Thus also they 

 were named by the Georgians, in 

 the middle ages, Quara Dshiki, 

 and their country Qaradschachethi, 

 for Dshiki and Zychi are synony- 

 mous, and signify Tscberkessians. 



They assert that they removed 

 from Madshar to the district which 

 they at present inhabit before the 

 Tscberkessians came to the Kabar- 

 dah, and derive their name of Cha- 

 ratschai from the chieftain under 

 whose conduct thej-^ settled on the 

 Ckuban. Pallas assigns to them a 

 considerable extension to the west ; 

 for he represents them as border- 

 ing upon the Beschilbai on the 

 Urup. The truth is, that they 

 dwell dispersed at the north foot 

 of the Elbrus, which is called by 

 them Mingi-taw, on the rivers 

 Chursuk, Ckuban, and Teberde. 

 To the east they are separated by the 

 mountains of Kandshal, Tshalpak, 

 and Urdi ; and to the north by the 

 mou ntains of A uarsetsch, Ketscher- 

 gan, Baramut, and Mara, from the 

 Tsckherkessians and Abasses, To 

 the west they have the Abassian 

 tribes of Tramkt, Lo'u, and Klitsch. 

 Their two principal villages are 

 Ckaratschai, at the influx of the 

 Chursuk into the right of the 

 Ckuban, which contains about 250 

 houses, and another of about fifty 

 houses, situated to the west of the 

 Upper Ckuban, on the little river 



