K A R 



428 



K A U 



Kmfcchal, feel tribe of any Inhabiting the Cuucausian mountains, 

 '^ V"* niul surpass all tKvir neighbours in mildness of man- 

 ner*. The rich lend oxen to the poor ; present them 

 with donations; or find them such employment as en- 

 able* them to subsist in comfort. Though easily ex- 

 asperated, they are as easily pacified, and prone to 

 acknowledge their errors. Treachery is so rare, as 

 scarcely to be known to them even by name. Should 

 a native be guilty of it, or a stranger find his way among 

 them as a spy, he would literally be cut to pieces. To 

 the Kabardian princes, their superiors, they pay the ut- 

 most respect. 



Minufoc- The Karatschai dwell in a fertile country, from which 

 lures and subsistence can readily be obtained : they are industrious, 

 inule. alu ) practise agriculture, but are incapable of manufac- 



turing those articles which require skill. Their arms, 

 which are guns, pistols, sabres, and daggers, they pro- 

 cure from the Circassians. All the f loth of their apparel 

 is manufactured by themselves, and it is, besides, much 

 esteemed throughout the whole of Caucasus. The fe- 

 males go little abroad, and are occupied in the manufac- 

 ture of gold and silver thread, and in making clothes for 

 the other sex. Their commerce is very limited. Furs 

 of various wild animals, obtained in the woods and 

 mountains, are either sold to foreign traders, or kept 

 for carpets, whereon they kneel in prayer. A surplus 

 of their woollen cloth, as also felts for carpeting and 

 hoods, are exported to the Imirettians, and a Turkish 

 fortress now occupied by the Russians, called Tschus- 

 chukulee, or Sochumkalah, on the coast of the Black 

 Sea. Some tobacco, of which they are excessively 

 fond, is disposed of to the neighbouring tribes, who 

 export it to Russia. One of these is likewise supplied 

 by them with lead and sulphur : great quantities of 

 cornel berries, which grow in the woods, are preserved 

 in honey, and sold to the Turks and Kabardians : 

 but their own country being too cold for bees, they 

 procure it from the latter for this purpose. From 

 them likewise they get salt, and articles of Russian 

 produce ; and for their other commodities, are received 

 in return, tobacco-pipes, which are in great demand, 

 Turkish tobacco, otter skins, copper kettles, needles, 

 thimbles, silks, and cottons. 



The Karatschai inhabit a village, sometimes called 

 by the same name, and sometimes Elbrus, consisting 

 of 250 houses, distant about ten miles from the north- 

 ern base of the mountain, and thirty north-east of ano- 

 ther mountain, called Dshuman-taw, at the confluence 

 of the rivers Chursuk and Kuban. A tribe called 

 Urusby, dwelling on the elevated ridge of Tschalpach, 

 belongs to the same people, and is ruled by a Kabar- 

 dian prince. The whole nation seems limited to 4000 

 families. 



Very little is preserved of the history of the Karats- 

 chai. Abulghasi Bahader Khan, the prince of Karazm, 

 who bestowed so much attention on the history of the 

 Tartars, is silent regarding them. But about the same 

 period wherein he flourished, namely, the middle of 

 the seventeenth century, they are mentioned in gene- 

 ral terms by Lamberti, the Italian missionary. He re- 

 marks that they spoke the Turkish language, and ex- 

 presses his surprise how they could have preserved it 

 in such purity, amidst the variety of surrounding na- 

 tions. In his time they were invaded by some of the 

 mountaineers, who being repulsed, a number of women 

 in military accoutrements were found among the slain. 

 Being brought to the prince of Mingrelia, he promised 

 great rewards to the Karatschai, if they could take one 

 of these Amazons alive. Both arms and accoutre- 



ments were seen by Lamberti, who gives a very minute 

 description of them. Of later^ years, the inroads of 

 the Russians among the Caucasian tribes, and the d.o 

 sire of their government to become more intimately ac- 

 quainted with the territories over which thty claim 

 authority, have exposed some singular and interesting 

 features in the history of the mountaineers by which 

 they are inhabited, (c) 



KARLY, or CARLI, is the name of a village between 

 Bombay and Poonah, where there are several excava- 

 tions similar to those of Elephanta and Ellora. See 

 Lord Valentia's Travels, vol. ii. p. 16'3. ; Moor's Hin- 

 doo Pantheon ; and Mrs. Graham's Journal of a Ilesi~ 

 deuce in India. 



KARMATHIANS. See CAHMATIIIANS. 



KASAN. See KAZAN. 



KASHN 7 A. See KASSINA. 



KASI DEANS, or ASSIDEAXS, were a religious fra- 

 ternity among the Jews, who bound themselves to 

 adorn the porches of the temple of Jerusalem, and pre- 

 serve it from decay. Scaliger maintains, that the Es- 

 senes were descended from them. 



KASSINA, or CASHNA, is a kingdom of Africa, si. 

 tuated to the north of the Niger, between the king- 

 doms of Bornou and Tombuctoo. This kingdom has 

 such a striking resemblance to that of Bornou in its 

 soil, climate, and productions, as well as in its form of 

 government, and in the manners of the people, that we 

 must refer the reader, in those points, to an account of 

 that kingdom. 



There is a considerable difference, however, between 

 the two kingdoms, in language, currency, and in cer 

 tain articles of their commerce. The currency of Kas- 

 sina consists of cowrie shells, of which 2500 are equal 

 to 10s. l^d. Sterling. The merchants of Kassina sup. 

 ply all other nations with the salt which is obtained from 

 the kingdom of Bornou. The lakes in which this va 

 luable commodity is found, are 45 days march from 

 Agadez, and are encircled by the burning sands of the 

 Desart of Bilma. A thousand camels are employed 

 in the caravans, which are engaged in this profitable 

 trade. The other articles of commerce which the king- 

 dom of Kassina affords, are gold dust, slaves, cotton 

 cloth, senna, goatskins, ox and- buffalo hides, and ci- 

 vet ; and, in exchange for these, they receive cowries, 

 horses, red caps, check linens, coarse woollen cloths, 

 baize, small Turkey carpets, Mesurata carpets, silks, 

 tissues and brocades, sabre blades, Dutch knives, scis- 

 sars, coral beads, small looking-glasses, and nuts, which 

 communicate a pleasant bitter by infusion. 



The rapidity of the Niger in its passage through the 

 kingdom of Kassina is so great, that vessels are unable 

 to ascend the current. In the proceedings of the Afri- 

 can Association (1792), Agadez is said to belong to 

 Kassina, but IJorneman states, that it is tlffe capital of 

 an independent kingdom called Asben. The city 'of 

 Cassina is 6'50 miles W. S. W. from Bornou, and 690 

 E. S. E. from Tombuctoo. It is situated in East Long. 

 11 3t', and North Lat. 14*. 



KATMANDU. See KHATMANDU. 



KAUFFMAN, ANGELICA, an eminent female paint- 

 er, was the daughter of an artist, and was born at Coire, 

 the capital of the Orisons, on the 30th October, 1 740. 

 Her turn for painting was carefully cultivated by her 

 father, who took her to Milan at the age of fourteen, 

 and afterwards sent her to Rome, where she soon ac- 

 quired the reputation which was due to her talents. 

 In the year 1765, she came to England with Lady 

 Wentworth, the wife of the British ambassador at Ve- 



