3S9 



CATON. 



CAUCASUS. 



390 



CATON, Lancashire, a village and the seat of a Gilbert's Poor-Law 

 Incorporation, in the parish of Lancaster and hundred of South 

 Lonsclale, is situated on the left bank of the river Lune, in 54 4' 

 N. lat., 2 41' W. long. ; distant 5 miles N.E. by N. from Lancaster. 

 The population of the township of Caton with Littledale waa 1434 in 

 1851. The living is a perpetual curacy in the archdeaconry of Lan- 

 caster and diocese of Manchester. Caton Poor-Law Incorporation 

 contains 17 parishes and townships, with an area of 46,212 acres, and 

 a population in 1851 of 9044. 



The village of Caton existed at an early period ; as far back as 

 1266 there was a church here, of which the Norman doorway still 

 remains. The present church is a modern gothic building. There 

 are a chapel for Wesleyan Methodists and a National school. Cotton, 

 silk, and flour mills give employment to many of the inhabitants. 

 The scenery of Caton Vale is much admired. 



CATRINE. [AYRSHIRE.] 



CATSKILL MOUNTAINS. [ALLEGHAXY MouxrAnrs.] 



CATTARO. [DALMATIA.] 



CATTEGAT, or KATTEGAT.' [BALTIC SEA.] 



CATTERICK. [YORKSHIRE.] 



CATTYWA'R, or KATTYWAR, a district occupying a portion of 

 the interior of the Guzerat peninsula, is bounded N. by Jhallawar, E. 

 by Goelwara, S. by Babreeawar, and W. by Soret. The surface towards 

 the north is irregular ; in the south are jungles. The soil is variable ; 

 but sand prevails on the plains, where it is mixed with reddish- 

 coloured rock, of which the hills are mainly composed. The hills 

 are deficient in trees. The more usual kinds of produce are wheat 

 and a few coarser grains. Many horses are reared, the breed being 

 considered among the best in India. The inhabitants, who are not 

 numerous, are known by the name of Catties. The men are an 

 athletic race, and such of the females as are allowed to live grow up 

 with a considerable share of personal beauty. The Catties are wor- 

 shippers of the sun. The men are robbers by profession. The 

 country is divided among numerous tributary chiefs and princes, 

 each exercising independent power within the limits of his own divi- 

 sion. There are 10 talooks, or districts, with 216 chiefs in all. Some 

 of these chiefs are under the direct authority of the British, but the 

 greater number are subject to the Guicowar, although these are also 

 placed under the control and management of the Company's officerj, 

 by whom the tribute is collected and accounted for to the Guicowar. 

 This arrangement has been found necessary in order to preserve 

 peace in the country. The interference of the British extends to 

 criminal as well as financial matters. All the rights which the British 

 possess in Catty war have been acquired from the Peishwa and the 

 Guicowar ; from the fgrmer by conquest, from the latter by mutual 

 arrangement. Those rights have been considered as limited to the 

 collection of tribute and the preservation of peace ; in other respects 

 the Cattywar chieftains have been left to exercise all the functions of 

 government within their own immediate territories. The entire 

 dis'rict includes an area of 19,850 square miles, with a population of 

 1,468,900. The total yearly revenue amounts to about 450,000*.; 

 the annual tribute to the British government is nearly 105,0001. 



CAU'CASUS (Kawkou, Goffkas), an extensive mountain chain 

 extending between the Black and Caspian seas, and forming part of 

 the boundary between Asia and Europe, but in ancient times belong- 

 ing entirely to Asia. The general direction of the range is from W. N. W. 

 to E.S.E. It begins on the shore of the Black Sea, at a short distance 

 south of the town of Anapa, at about 44 40' N. lat., 37 10' E. long., 

 and terminates on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, in the peninsula of 

 Apsheron, 40 20' N. lat., 50 20' E. long. The length of the range 

 is about 700 miles ; the width varies from 60 to 150 miles ; the area 

 covered by it is about 56,000 square miles, or nearly the surface of 

 England and Wales taken together. 



The Caucasus, in some summits in the centre of the range, rises to 

 a greater height than the Alps, while He extremities subside into mere 

 hills. The highest summit, formed by the rocky mass of the double 

 peaked Mount Elbruz, in 43 20' N. lat, 42 30' E. long., rises to between 

 17,000 and 18,000 feet above the sea, and stands quite isolated, being 

 surrounded by low and marshy ground. That portion of the range 

 which extends west of Mount Elbruz to the shores of the Black Sea is 

 called the Black Mountains, to distinguish them from the snowy crests 

 and pnaks of the more eastern part of the range. They do not rise to 

 a great elevation. Along the shore the hills seldom exceed 200 feet 

 in height. Eatt of Mount Elbruz there are numerous summits and 

 ridges which rise above the snow-line. Mount Kasbek, 42 50' N. lat, 

 44 20' E. long., is 16,000 feet high. It is of volcanic origin. The 

 granite and porphyry of which its nucleus is composed are covered 

 with volcanic deposits, and on the east they are flanked by limestone 

 and clay. Farther east occur other high summits, as Mount Tersh, 

 Shah-Dagh, and others, all of which are above the line of perpetual 

 snow, which is here between 10,000 and 11,000 feet above the sea. 

 On the peninsula of Apsheron the chain baa only the appearance of 

 moderate hills. 



The offsets of the Caucasus approach near to the Black Sea, and 

 often advance close to its shores between Anapa and the mouth of the 

 Ingour, a distance of about 250 miles. Within these limits the shores 

 of the Black Sea are high, bold, exposed, and rocky, except at a few 

 points. On the Caspian side the mountains seldom approach the 



shores. From the region of Mount Elbruz several mountain ranges 

 run north-eastward and eastward, separating the head streams of the 

 Kuban, the Kuma, and the Terek. Another offset on this side runs 

 between the two arms of the Koi-Su, which inclose the country of the 

 Avars, or Avari, to within a few miles of the Caspian. Farther south 

 the mountains do not approach the Caspian nearer than about 30 

 miles, but the rock on which Derbent is built, which forms the extre- 

 mity of another offset, is less than two miles from the Caspian. 

 Another plain follows, which however only extends from 10 to 15 

 miles inland, and terminates about 12 miles N. of 41 N. lat. The 

 remainder, including the peninsula of Apsheron, is rather high, and 

 the country is hilly. The country that extends between the crest of 

 the Caucasus and the shore of the Caspian from the lower Terek to 

 some distance south of Kuba forms the territory of Daghestan, the 

 greater part of which is covered with mountains, the abode of the 

 Lesghis, who, led on by their prophet-chief Shamyl, have arrested the 

 progress of Russian conquest in the Caucasus since 1831. 



The Caucasus is connected with only one great mountain system, 

 that of the Taurus. On the southern side of the range an offset 

 branching off from the central mass, near 41 N. lat., and dividing 

 the sources of the Faz, or Rion (Phasis), from the basin of the Km 

 (Cyrus), unites the Caucasus with the mountains north of the central 

 table-land of Armenia, and with the Lazistan Mountains, from which 

 it is divided at its western extremity only by the lower course of 

 the Choruk-Su. [ARMENIA.] The plain to the south of this range is 

 traversed by the Kur and slopes gradually to the Caspian. The plain, 

 or steppe, which extends along the north side of the Caucasus, hardly 

 contains an elevation that deserves the name of a hill ; between the 

 innermost corner of the Sea of Azof and the Gulf of Kuma, in the 

 Caspian, it sinks so low that it is probably nowhere 120 feet above 

 the Black Sea. The offsets of the Caucasus towards the steppe are 

 by far the most numerous, and sometimes extend to 100 miles; but 

 here as well as to the south the mountains terminate so abruptly 

 that even many of the summits, which attain no great elevation, are 

 nearly inaccessible. 



As in the Alps glaciers are common in the higher parts of the 

 Caucasus, and the scenery of both mountain systems has a strong 

 resemblance, except that in the Caucasus there are no lakes, with the 

 exception of a small one on Mount Khoi. There are however several 

 marshes. 



The sides of the mountains are furrowed by innumerable valleys, 

 most of which have a very fertile soil, yielding abundance of corn of 

 every sort, the cultivation of which is carried to a height of about 

 8000 feet above the level of the sea. The lower valleys produce cotton, 

 flax, rice, tobacco, wine, and indigo. The mountain sides are covered 

 with noble forests. The Caucasus presents a great variety of climates, 

 according to the elevation. An arctic winter prevails on the summits 

 while an Italian summer is felt at the foot of the range ; the harvest 

 is ripe below while the first buds of spring are only bursting in the 

 forests on the mountain top. But with the exception of Mingrelia 

 the climate is generally very healthy. The most beautiful and rare 

 flowers enamel the meadows and mountain pastures. Wines and silk, 

 both of superior quality, are the chief commercial products. Madder 

 is extensively grown, and saffron is gathered. The Kur and the Phasis 

 carry off the chief part of the drainage of the southern slopes of the 

 Caucasus into the Caspian and the Black seas respectively. On the 

 northern side the principal rivers are the Terek and the Kuban, the 

 former rising in Mount Elbruz and flowing north-west into the Black 

 Sea ; the latter rising in Mount Kasbek and running first north and 

 then east into the Caspian. The Kuma, another large tributary of 

 the Caspian, carries off the streams that rise in the mountains between 

 Mounts Elbruz and Kasbek. All the rivers abound in fish. Most of 

 the other rivers are mere torrents, confined generally to narrow 

 beds, and running rapidly towards the sea through a stony soil ; but 

 in spring they inundate their banks in some parts to a great extent. 



In the Caucasus the argali (Ovis Amman) is found, which was long 

 considered peculiar to the table-land of Central Asia and the moun- 

 tains of Siberia, This mountain range is also the native country of 

 the common and gold pheasants. The auroch, a species of ox, is still 

 found in some parts of the Caucasus, and fur-bearing animals abound 

 in all the forests. The Caucasian breed of horses is highly esteemed 

 for their speed, hardiness, or temperance in food : they are used only 

 for war and plundering excursions. Oxen are used for the plough. 

 In Daghestan, owing to the mountainous nature of the country, horses 

 are scarce, but small vigorous asses are numerous and the principal 

 beasts of burden. Camels of the common and of the white species 

 are used to carry loads in most of the Caucasian countries. The 

 mountains abound in goats, chamois, and izards. The wild goat, or 

 touri, also is hunted ; to escape its pursuers it precipitates itself 

 down frightful chasms and precipices, alighting on the tip of its horns, 

 which, as well as its neck, are of great strength. Numerous flocks of 

 sheep are kept in some parts of the Caucasus, especially iu the Cir- 

 cassian country, where mutton is the principal article of food : of the 

 wool good cloth is manufactured. The heaths, underwoods, forests, 

 and plains abound with game. Vultures and eagles are numerous in 

 the high mountains. Jackals, wolves, and bears are the principal car- 

 nivorous quadrupeds ; the bears often devour the grapes. In mineral 

 riches Caucasus is probably superior to the Alps. Traces of gold 



