480 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



dustrioui, ahd chiefly subsist by 

 agriculture ; for tliey are too weak 

 to pursue, like their masters and 

 protectors the Kabardians, the 

 trade of arms, as the wliole tribe 

 consists of very few more than 250 

 families. 



The soil is fertile, and produces 

 abundance of wheat (budai), bar- 

 ley (arpd), millet [tari], and grass 

 for pasturage; yet tiiis spot is but 

 eight wersts in breadth, the whole 

 circumjacent country being co- 

 vered with woods, in which wild 

 pear-tres (kortmd) are frequently 

 met with. Here grow likewise 

 great quantities of cornel-berries, 

 which are preserved with honey, 

 and disposed of to the Kabardians 

 and the Turks. The woods more- 

 over abound with game, as bears, 

 wolves, wild goats of two species, 

 hares, wildcats, the skins of which 

 are highly valued, and martens. 

 They sell to foreign traders the 

 skins of bears, hares, foxes, and 

 martens ; but those of the wild 

 goats they keep for themselves, 

 and use them for carpets, which 

 they lay upon the spot where they 

 kneel during prayer. They like- 

 wise make boot-legs and Tartar 

 boots of them, and cut them into 

 small strips to sew with. They 

 keep many sheep, asses, mules 

 [ckadra], and horses, which last, 

 though small, are strong and spi- 

 rited, and admirably adapted for 

 travelling in the mountains. Their 

 butter is excellent, and with the 

 milk they make very good cheese 

 [bischlik). A very common dJsh 

 with them is kefir ; so also is 

 boiled mutton [schisslick], or meat 

 roasted upon small sticks, or cakes 

 filled with minced meat and other 

 things. Their beer (ssra) is, like 

 that of the Ossetes, the best in 



the Caucasus, and resembles Eng- j 

 lish porter. They distil brandy 1 

 from barley and wheat, and their 

 bread they commonly bake in the 

 ashes. They are very fond of to- 

 bacco, which they cultivate them- 

 selves ; and there are several spe- 

 cies of it, all of which are in great 

 request. They sell it to the No- 

 gays, Ssuanes, and Jews ; these 

 last export it to the Kabardah and 

 to Russia. 



When their horses are grown 

 old and unserviceable, they cut off 

 their tails and manes, and turn 

 them out to feed in the woods, 

 where they become extremely fat. 

 When they kill them they keep 

 the flesh dried till winter, and also 

 cut it into small pieces, with which, 

 when cleared of the sinews, they 

 fill the intestines. This kind of 

 sausage they set before their friends 

 as a dainty. The stomach, liver, 

 and other ofFal are likewise used 

 in housekeeping. Kiimiss, or milk- 

 brandy, is never made by them. 



The men wear, like the Tscher- 

 kessians, woollen garments re- 

 sembling a close surtout, which 

 are called Tschimek. Their cloth, 

 which is held in high estimation 

 throughout the whole of the Cau- 

 casus, is manufactured by them- 

 selves. The women also dress in 

 cloth and furs when they go abroad ; 

 but in the height of summer they 

 wear only a light under-garment 

 of white cotton. The younger 

 females cover the head with a cap 

 of silver lawn, and plait their hair, 

 which is tied after the Tscher- 

 kessian manner with a white 

 ribband, and falls down their backs. 

 The women of more advanced age 

 wear a white handkerchief over 

 the head. 



Their houses, which they keep 



