TRAVELS IN CIRCASSIA. 391 



to be binding, must be effective." Thus, unless 

 Eussia relinquishes her cherished policy in Asia, and 

 admits the independence of Circassia a most im- 

 probable event the resources of that country will 

 remain undeveloped, its mineral wealth will never 

 be explored, its magnificent forests, teeming with 

 valuable timber, will never ring with the sound of 

 the axe ; and the box-trees, unequalled in the world, 

 will decay where they stand. The small patches of 

 cultivation in the fertile valleys will never be en- 

 larged beyond what is necessary for a scanty popula- 

 tion. The grapes will wither upon the vine-stems, 

 and the fruit which loads the trees rot where it falls. 

 And yet the nation does not exist who would ap- 

 preciate more thoroughly the advantages of a free and 

 unrestricted commerce. Whenever the opportunity 

 has offered, they have manifested a spirit of mercan- 

 tile enterprise which only proves how anxious they 

 are for intercourse with other nations, and how 

 speedily civilisation would exercise over them its 

 benign influences ; but, like ourselves, they are ready 

 to sacrifice their internal prosperity to their liberty, 

 and would rather be annihilated as a nation, savage but 

 free, than purchase that degraded civilisation which 

 Eussia offers them, at the price of their independence. 



With respect to the absence of any co-operation on 

 the part of the Circassians, that is easily accounted 

 for with regard to the eastern part of the range. 

 There are two reasons which doubtless operated with 



VOL. vi. 2 o 



