RUSSIA. 



503 



> of Poland, and toward the boundaries of Turkey : thr 

 ~ ' rhicf points where Russia nov. > to hav : 



fill i'oivcs, whether with a view to m.-ikc an in option 

 into other countries, or for the defence of her own 

 frontiers, for she is neither to be regarded as i 

 Mr, miiittackahle, nor unconquerable. 



The syvtetn of colonnatkm will he best understood 

 !>y .1 ilet til of the course adopted to colonize a single 



:imi'nt. The emperor issues an uk;i/, in whicli 

 indicated the crown-villages which are to In-romr mi- 

 litary colonies. In the villages so^ designated, (which 

 are inhabited by crown-peasants, and consequently are 

 at the emp -ror's disposal,) the name, age, property, 

 and family of each householder are registered ; those 

 who are above 50 years old are chosen to form what 

 are called the Master-colonists. Houses are built for 

 them in lieu of those they inhabited, forming a street or 

 streets of cottages similar to one another, each separat- 

 ed from the neighbouring cottage by a court-yard, and 

 each master- colonist receives fifteen deciatins, about 

 forty English acres ; with this condition annexed, that 

 he is to support a soldier, his family, if he has one, 

 and his horse, if cavalry are colonized in the village; 

 he receiving the benefit of the soldier's assistance in 

 the cultivation of the land and other duties of hus- 

 bandry, when not engaged in his military duties. In 

 seed-time and harvest-time, it is understood that the 

 soldiers are to be little exercised, in order to leave them 

 free for the labours of the field. As many of the 

 present Agriculturist-Soldiers have formed part of the 

 regular army, the master-colonists need scarcely ex- 

 pect much assistance from their exertions. When a 

 new progeny shall have taken their places, who have 

 been trained from their youth to agriculture and to 

 arms, perhaps the dissimilar union may become more 

 assimilated. 



The soldier, who becomes domesticated in the house 

 of the master-colonist, shares his table, and assists him 

 in his labour, is called Agriculturist- Soldier. Close to 

 the house of the master-colonist is built one exactly si- 

 milar, which is occupied by the Reserve, who may be 

 considered as the soldier's second self. He is chosen 

 by the colonel of the regiment colonized from the per.- 

 sants, and is usually a son or relation of the master- 

 colonist. The Reset ve is instructed in every part of a 

 soldier's duty, and qualified in every respect to take 

 the place of his prototype, or to form one of an army 

 of reserve in case of danger. He too assists when 

 wanted in the cultivation of the fifteen deciatins of 

 land, or follows such other occupation as may suit 

 him, tailor, shoemaker, and so on. 



The master-colonist, agriculturist-soldier, and re- 

 serve, may choose their wives where they like, and are 

 encouraged to marry ; but the women, once within the 

 pale of the military colonies, cannot marry out of them. 



The sons of the master-colonist, agriculturist-soldier, 

 and reserve, who are from thirteen to seventeen years 

 old, are called Kantonisls, are exercised as soldiers, and 

 continued at the village which is the residence of the 

 Colonel, and the head-quarters of the regiment : they 

 also occasionally attend school to complete their edu- 

 cation. 



The boys from eight to thirteen years old go to 

 school in the village in which their parents reside, and 

 learn their military duties alternate days ; they as well 

 as the Kantonists are dressed in uniform, and consider- 

 ed as soldiers ; the children under eight years old re- 

 main with their parents. 



The education of the children forms a very import- Rmwa. 

 ant feature in the sytem. All the male children 

 the colony are bent to school* of mutual n, 



where they are taught reading, writing, and arithme- 

 tic. They learn a sort of catechism containing the 

 duty of a soldier, much the same as that which buona. 

 parte taught his soldiers. They are instructed in the 

 use of the sword ; learn to ride in the .Manege, ami 

 alter the age of thirteen, they are aHuembled at the 

 lit. id-quarters of the regiment, and formed into a corrw, 

 in which tho^e who distinj'uibh^thcmselves mot by 

 their quickness and attention are made officers. At 

 Vo/nesens!', (the head-quarters of the first regiment 

 of the lio.'g) Dr. Lyall saw a body of 200 KantonisM 

 who marched, fired, and performed all the evolutions 

 of experienced soldiers, with a steadiness and precision 

 which was astonishing. There was an esprit de corpt 

 about them, which cannot fail to make them good sol- 

 diers. 



The educati in of the women has hitherto been much 

 neglected, but they have now begun to establish schools 

 on the Lancasterian plan for them, which, no doubt, 

 will soon become general. 



A military colony, therefore, consists of 



1. The Master-Colonist, so called because he is master 

 of the family and of the farm. 



2. The Assistant, so called because he aids the mas- 

 ter-colonist in cultivating the ground. 



3. The Agrtcultttrist-S >ldier, who adds to the usual 

 military duties the occasional one of assisting in the 

 fields. 



4. The Reserve, who, like the agriculturist-soldier, 

 combines the two capacities of soldier and agriculturist; 

 and, as the name implies, forms one of a corps de re- 

 serve, to supply the soldier's place in case of necessity. 



5. The Kanlonist, under which head are comprised 

 all the loys in the colony from thirteen to seventeen 

 years old. 



6. The Boys from eight to thirteen years. 



7. The Male Children under eight years old. 



8. The Females. 



9. The Invalids. 



The administration of the military colonies deserves 

 particular attention, as it separates their interests com- 

 pletely from that of every other branch of society in 

 the Russian dominions. 



The colonies in the south of Russia occupy 380 vil- 

 lages in the Governments of Kherson, Kharkof, and 

 Yekaterinoslaf. The villages, according to their size, 

 contain from two squadrons to half a squadron. In 

 each village is stationed halt a battalion, a battalion, or 

 even two battalions of infantry, in the Government of 

 Novgo'rod ; and the number of troops there amounted, 

 in 1822, to 24,000 men. 



In the above 380 villages, were colonized, in the 

 summer of 1822, twelve regiments of lancers, and 

 twelve of cuirassiers, forming a total of 24,000 men. 

 The total number of colonized forces, therefore, amount- 

 ed to 48,000 in 1822. At present they may be esti- 

 mated at 80,000 soldiers. 



The three Governments above mentioned constitute 

 a military district, which is placed under the command 

 of General Count de Witt, from whose jurisdiction 

 there is no appeal but to the emperor, and that only in 

 particular cases. Count de Witt is entitled commander- 

 in-chief of the military colonies in the governments of 

 Kherson, Kharkof, and Yekaterinoslaf. 



A code of laws, consisting of fourteen volumes, ha* 



