406 



NATURAL HISTORY OF 



THE CIRCASSIAN AND GEORGIAN TRIBES OF 

 THE CASPIAN CAUCASUS. 



WHILE others, coming more from the north, with, as 

 it appears, a portion of Finnic blood in their veins, 

 held possession of the plains on the Kouban and the 

 Don,* these extended westward in the Crimea, and 

 along the shores of the Euxine, until they were in 

 part swept onwards, and partly driven back to take 

 shelter in the fastnesses they now hold. The Don 

 Cossacks are of the same stem, for although all the 

 tribes are in various proportions of mixed origin, the 

 typical form is always evident. 



The women of Circassia are beautiful, probably the 

 most beautiful in features and complexion of the whole 

 earth. They have often light hair and blue eyes, 

 tall, graceful, and erect forms, with straight or slightly 

 aquiline noses, well formed lips, and beautiful teeth; 

 while the men justly pride themselves on their broad 

 shoulders, slender waists, expressive features, stal- 

 wart height, and martial gait. Indeed, this inherent 

 superiority of form is so dominant, that the unceasing 

 practice which the Osmanli Turks have of purchasing 

 female slaves of this race, has caused them to have 



* Although the banks of the Borysthenes are known to 

 have been successively inhabited by Alans, Goths, Geti, 

 Cumans, Polowtses, and Roxolani, the antiquities known 

 to have been the work of Circassians are still found scat- 

 tered through the country. 



