TRAVELS IN CIRCASSIA. 393 



At last, just when we had given up the Cyclops, 

 and had determined upon riding down the coast to 

 Souchoum, we observed the line of smoke upon the 

 distant horizon, and soon after were actively engaged 

 in the process of embarkation, leaving our Circassians 

 collected in a group upon the beach, shouting " Oay- 

 maff" or farewell. 



It would have been interesting, could we have 

 spared the time, to have visited the church of Pit- 

 zounda, celebrated as the oldest Christian church in 

 the Caucasus, and situated upon a remarkable pro- 

 montory, which we steamed past the morning after 

 leaving Ardiller. It is almost exactly similar to that 

 of Souksou, but upon the scale of a cathedral instead 

 of a church. It has been described at length in the 

 elaborate work of Mons. Dubois de Montpereux, whose 

 extensive researches into the history and antiquities 

 of the Caucasian province are a most valuable source 

 of reference. Founded by the Emperor Justinian 

 about the middle of the sixth century, it embraced 

 within its patriarchate nearly all the Caucasian 

 countries. The invasions of the neighbouring Cir- 

 cassians, however, forced the bishops to abandon it, 

 and its importance declined, until under Muscovite 

 auspices there appeared some prospect of its old 

 position being assigned to it. As in former times 

 it was the repository of many valuable documents, 

 which have since been removed to the monastery of 

 Ghelathi, and from which a history of the Caucasian 



