142 THE HISTORY AND ART 



The Kirghin Rhaijjaks arc a nation divided into three 

 Hordas, the great, middle, and little Horda. They are 

 reckoned, in fome degree, to be fubje(5t to the R.uffian 

 government, but pay no tribute, and may rather pafs 

 for a free and independent nation, living under ful- 

 tans, whom they themfelves ele6t. They have great 

 T^aboons of horfes, of the fame breed as thofe of the Brjh- 

 kirs : in fumraer the horfes are fed in the great defart, 

 bordering on the river Talk. In winter the T'aboons re- 

 move to fandy places, where the fnow never is fo deep 

 as on the reft of the defart. Some drive their Taboons 

 near the lake Jral, and the river Sir-Doria, where large 

 tracts of ground are covered with reeds, on which the 

 horfes brouze, and are nouriflied. The horfes of this 

 people are lighter, and more {lately than thofe of the 

 B-iPokirs. They ferve to mount the Ruffian cavalry. A 

 fair is held annually near Orenburgh, and the fortrefs of 

 TroitJJjoy, where many thoufands of thefe horfes are fold 

 to the Ruffians, or bartered againil other merchandizes. 

 Thefe horfes never eat hay ; they are ufed and fami- 

 liarized to the firing of guns, which the Khghin-RaiJJ'acks 

 employ in hunting and war ; many of thefe horfes 

 are as good Amblers as the Bq/bkirian horfes. 



The T'cherkfijps are a nation which live in the Caucafus, 

 near the fources of the river Ruban and Terek, the 

 former of which falls into the fea of Azof, and the 

 latter into the Cafpian fea. Thefe people were formerly 

 fubjecls of the Crim Tartars ; but fince the year 1709, 

 . have been a free and independent people. Their horfes 



4 are 



