644 



CAUCASUS, 



Caucasus. Beshtau and its adjacent hills. This mountain bor- 

 ^-*V ' ders on the Podkuma, about 5 versts north-west be- 

 low Constantinogorsk. It is a calcareous mass of 

 considerable extent, and in a conical form. It is 

 richly covered with wood, and apparently more than 

 one-third part the height of the lofty Beshtau. It 

 consists of a greyish, linn, calcareous mineral, with- 

 out petrifactions, not unlike the hornstone, and which 

 is disposed in tolerably thick horizontal beds. It 

 has an appendage on the anterior side, consisting of 

 a species of tophus, and in the centre of its summit 

 there is a deep cleft like a valley, overgrown with 

 wood. From the foot of the mountain a steep and 

 narrow ridge, consisting of an uncommonly beautiful 

 white tophus, extends along the low country of the 

 Podkuma to the west, and in a curved direction 

 towards the north-west, not unlike a promontory. 

 This ridge divides itself at the western extremity in- 

 to two branches, one of which extends directly to 

 the west, runs nearer to the river, is upwards of 200 

 paces longer than the other, and appears to be a more 

 ancient production of the sulphureous waters. The 

 direction of the shorter branch is, 30 far as it extends, 

 more north-westerly. They are both plentifully co- 

 vered over, and ornamented with various kinds of 

 rock and other plants. On the southern side of the 

 whole ridge, there were observed here and there 

 some as it were rounded projections of tophus,, dis- 

 posed in successive laminated strata, which appeared 

 to owe their origin to small springs, or channels of 

 lime-water impregnated with sulphur, and some of 

 which still continued to run while others were then in 

 a dry state. These strata, as well as the whole 

 mountain, decline abruptly towards the low country. 

 Mountain The Beshtau, the next mountain, and next in eleva- 

 of Bh- tion to the one now described, is remarked, by the same 

 tau. writer, to be frequently enveloped in clouds to its very 



base, while the summit even appears to project over 

 . them. This mountain is situated on a level and very 

 extensive eminence, rising much above the current of 

 the rivers Kuma and Podkuma, together with several 

 adjacent mountains, among which the Metshuka just 

 noticed, is one of the nearest and most considerable. 

 That eminence presents no species of rock, except 

 the very ancient limestone which forms the whole of 

 this mountainous tract, and has scarcely any petri- 

 factions. It occupies the whole space between the 

 two rivers, and produces no trees but those growing 

 on the four contiguous mountains. In the back 

 ground these are connected by what is called the As- 

 ses' Ridge, and form between them a large glen or 

 valley ; from the midst of which, and the loftiest of 

 the whole species, rises a fifth mountain, reaching the 

 clouds with its summit. This is of a conical or rather 

 angular form, and so narrow on its top, that scarcely 

 ten persons have room to stand by each other. From 

 that point, several narrow ridges extend towards the 

 four adjacent mountains ; to which circumstance the 

 name is apparently owing, by which this mighty mass 

 is designated of Beshtau, or the five mountains. Towards 

 the top of the mountain the wood, which abounds on all 

 or most of the adjacent hills, begins to decrease, and to 

 degenerate into dwarf trees. Mingling with, or ri- 

 sing above, these in respect of their position, there 

 occur numerous shrubs chiefly of the beautiful kind ; 

 the azalea pontica, which last are finally succeeded 

 fey the barren summit pf the eminence. From the 



top of the Metshuka, it is perceived that the moun- Caucasus, 

 tainous tract which connects the Beshtau with the "*-~~Y~**S 

 principal adjacent heights, appears to run chiefly in 

 a direction with the stream of the river Kuma already 

 mentioned, the eminences rising progressively as they 

 extend towards the south-west, till they unite with 

 the Elburus, situated near to the sources of the river 

 Cuban. 



The Elburus is the most distinguished of the emi- Mountain^ 

 nences that seems to have attracted the attention of of Elburus* 

 Professor Pallas in this quarter. The account which 

 he gives of it and of the adjoining elevated ridges is 

 as follows. " From Madshary," says he, we first 

 descried the snowy mountains of the Caucasus. Du- 

 ring the whole of this day's journey, they appeared 

 particularly distinct to us on account of the serenity 

 of the air, and exhibited in their train a most magni- 

 ficent spectacle. Besides the lofty and colossal El- 

 burus, which towered above all the others, and as it 

 were guarded the whole chain on its western extre- 

 mity, there were four principal groups crowned with 

 snow, which were particularly conspicuous by their 

 irregular summits. The black mountains, or as they 

 are usually called here Tshernye Gory, appeared at 

 this distance like a regular wall which connected the 

 snowy mountains that rose above it, while it formed 

 their basis. The height of these black mountains is 

 apparently equal to that of the Beshtau, though the 

 latter is 1.50 versts distant from the former ; and that 

 part of the Elburus which is covered with snow ap- 

 pears to be above double the height of the Beshtau, 

 which, however, is much nearer the place whence we 

 viewed those vast piles. The other groups of these 

 snowy mountains appear to the eye one-third lower 

 than the Elburus : the most conspicuous are the bro- 

 ken mounts near the rise of the Aredon, and the sum- 

 mits of Kasibek beyond the source of the Terek." 

 In a note it is remarked, that the Elburus is not in- 

 ferior, perhaps, to Mont Blanc. The different sur- 

 rounding tribes, it seems, distinguish it by different 

 names. From what particular nation it has received 

 the name of Elburus has not been ascertained. But 

 in those parts it appears to have been pitched upon 

 as a fit object with which to connect some of the no- 

 tions of the prevailing superstition. It is considered 

 as the residence of the king of the hobgoblins, dis- 

 tinguished by the appellation Dshim Padishah : and 

 in the vicissitudes of an unfortunate war, it serves as 

 an asylum to the discomfited nations. The most con- 

 siderable of the mountains, it is observed, which form 

 a chain with the Elburus, are Ketshergan, Barma- 

 mut, and Auar-setsh, which lie near the sources of 

 the Kuma and Podkuma : between these and the 

 Baksan there are, towards the east, Mount Urdi, and 

 the mountains of Kandshall, as well as several others. 

 Towards the north and east of the Beshtau, an ex- 

 tensive plain presents itself to the eye, over which 

 there is, in clear weather, a prospect even as far as 

 Kislar and the Caspian Sea. 



It has already been remarked, that the Caucasian 

 mountains contain abundant stores of various valuable 

 minerals. There is diffused in the same quarter a co- 

 pious supply of other kinds of natural wealth, equal- 

 ly deserving of attention. Many of the vales in 

 this district are extremely fertile; and an abun- 

 dance is everywhere within reach of some of the 

 substances from which the most effectual aid may be 



