TRAVELS IN CIRCASSIA. 351 



tearing and manner, and so remarkably good-looking, 

 that had they been attired in long overcoats of black 

 cloth reaching almost to their ankles, instead of a 

 drab woollen garment ; if their parti-coloured gaiters 

 had been replaced by loose trousers with a broad 

 stripe, their neat red-leather slippers by patent-leather 

 boots ; had their necks been surrounded by a rigid 

 piece of linen of surpassing whiteness, instead of ex- 

 posed in all their fine proportions to the public gaze ; 

 had their hair been well greased and parted accurately 

 down the middle, instead of closely cropped ; had a 

 well-brushed hat reposed upon the curls, and not 

 a tall woollen kalpak ; had a gold -headed cane taken 

 the place of the silver-mounted kamur, or short sword, 

 and a gigantic pin ornamented their breasts, instead 

 of those rows of ammiinition-tubes which form the 

 most striking feature in their costume ; had all these 

 changes been effected, and my three friends sent to 

 saunter arm-in-arm down. Eegent Street, I have not 

 the slightest hesitation in saying that their appear- 

 ance would have filled the male portion of the com- 

 munity who display their elaborate persons upon 

 that much - frequented pavement with envy and 

 dismay, and inspired the rest of the society with 

 very different sentiments. At last the youngest of 

 the Adonises returned with the welcome news that 

 we might push on ; and accordingly we remounted, 

 and again followed him up dry water - courses and 

 over rocky paths to a village situated at the head of 



