I 



MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



483 



^ere formerly very fond, tbey now 

 hold in the utmost abhorrence, 

 and they consider a person who 

 only touches one of those animals 

 as impure. 



In temper they are extremely 

 warm, and the smallest trifle that 

 Can be construed by them into an 

 affront instantly inflames their re- 

 sentment against the offender; 

 but they are soon paci6ed again, 

 and easily convinced of their error. 

 Upon the whole, it tnay be justly 

 asserted, that they are the most 

 polished tribe in the Caucasus, and 

 surpass all their neighbours in 

 mildness of manners. To thfeir 

 superiors, the Kabardian princes, 

 they pay the utmost respect and 

 obedience, executing all their com- 

 mands with cheerfulness and punc- 

 tuality. They assist their poorer 

 brethren with gifts, and in a 

 variety of ways ; the rich lend 

 them their oxen, and find them 

 employment, for which they pay 

 them well, so that they are enabled 

 to live in a cofnfortable manner. 



The Ckaratschai manufacture 

 theinselves none of those articles 

 which requirfe great pains and pa- 

 tience, and procure even their 

 guns, sabres and daggers from the 

 neighbouring Tscherkessians, from 

 Ssochum-ckala'h, and from the 

 Abasses. Their territory yields 

 neither salt nor iron. These ne- 

 cessaries, together with lead and 

 other metals, they purchase of the 

 Tscherkessians and the Nogays. 

 For salting their winter provisions 

 they use the water of a spring not 

 far from Chursuk, with which 

 also they cook their victuals. 



They have scarcely any other 

 kinds of beverage than beer and 

 bota'. From wheat and barley, 

 indeed, they distil a brandy which 



is very strong and intoxicating; 

 but they seldom drink it, as it is 

 forbidden in the Ckuran. They 

 make a stock of beer and bosa for 

 winter. They have no honey, 

 because the climate is too cold for 

 bees in winter, and they know 

 nothing of the management of 

 hives. What honey they waYit 

 they obtain from the Kabardians 

 but use it only for preserving 

 cornel-berries and other fruit. 



Their mountains produce both 

 Sulphur and saltpetre; and to 

 procure the latter they are not 

 obliged, like the Tscherkessians, to' 

 sprinkle the ground of their sheep- 

 fftlds and pens with ley. Theii" 

 gunpowder is fine and remarkably 

 strong. 



The produce of their manufaq-', 

 tures, as cloth (schal), felts (kuss) 

 for carpeting, furs, hoods (bas- 

 chlik), &c. they sell partly to the 

 Imerethians and partly export to 

 Ssochum-ckala'h, a Turkish for- 

 tress on the Black Sea, which 

 contains great quantities of mer- 

 chandize, and carries on a con- 

 siderable trade with the western 

 Caucasus. They receive in return' 

 cottons, silks, tobacco-pipes, for 

 which there is a great demand, 

 Turkish tobacco, needles, thimbles,- 

 and otter skins. Their traffic with' 

 the Kabardians, from whom they 

 procure salt and other Russiaa 

 produce, is mnch less extensive ; 

 indeed they can supply themselves 

 much better with all they want 

 through the channel of the Turks,- , 

 and at a much cheaper rate, on,, 

 account of the water-carrioge from 

 Constantinople. They have also^ 

 some dealings with the Ssuanes^^ 

 who are called Ebse by the Ba^ 

 sianes, and princi pally supply them 

 with sulphur and lead. 



212 



