THE MOUNTAIN TRIBES. 453 



having once been an active volcano. The limestone ridge 

 on the north of the watershed is more abrupt, and the 

 gorges cut through it have bolder features than those of 

 the secondary ridges of Mingrelia, where the rock is more 

 friable, and steep slopes take the place of cliffs.'^ 



I have hitherto spoken onl}^ of that portion of the country 

 with which we became personally familiar, the 120 miles 

 between Kazbek and Elbruz, and it must therefore be borne 

 in mind that scant justice has been done to a chain the 

 entire length of which, from Anapa to Baku, is 700 miles. 

 Those who may be disposed to carry on the work of ex- 

 ploration have, consequently, a large field open to them. 

 West of Elbruz there is said to be much noble scenery ; the 

 glaciers are few and small, but the chain bristles with 

 sharp peaks, between 10,000 and 12,000 feet in height. The 

 depopulation of this district after the late Abkhasiau revolt 

 will prove a serious difficulty, to be taken into account by 

 future travellers. Eastwards, between the Dariel Pass 

 and the Caspian, stretch the highlands of Daghestan, a 

 re^'ion of flat pasturages, cut off from one another by 

 profound gorges, and dominated by at least three snowy 

 groups, rising to a height of over 13,000 feet. 



Having said thus much of the natural features of the 

 Caucasus, we may now review its inhabitants. The 

 diverse character of the mountain-tribes renders any 

 general description of them a work of extreme difficulty.f 

 Even in the small portion of the chain we visited, leaving 



* According to Herr Abich, the snow-limit in Suanetia is 9,500 feet. Tlie 

 same author fixes the limit of the forests at 7,300 feet. Herr Eadde, after 

 numerous observations, estimates it at 7,600 feet. The average height of the 

 base of the great glaciers as yet measured is 7,200 feet. 



t Readers who desire fui'ther details as to the tribes of the Caucasus, will 

 find them in Wagner's ' Travels in Persia, Georgia, and Kurdistan,' and Haxt- 

 hausen's 'Transcaucasia,' works translated from the German; or (in French) in 

 Dubois de Montpereux' ' Voyage autour du Caucase,' and a more receut work, 

 ' Lettres sur le Caucase.' 



