WAR IN CIRCASSIA. 
23 
five in the morning; and by four o'clock in the chap. 
afternoon the whole army had crossed the river : ' — , — j 
this, considering the want of proper boats and 
of other conveniences, and the great rapidity of 
the current, is wonderful. By nine o’clock in the 
same evening the attack commenced. A small 
party, consisting only of eight of the Circassian 
advanced guard, were surprised in the very 
onset : of these, two were taken, and the others 
fled to give the alarm. The first effective blow 
was however struck by the Circassians, who after- 
wards attacked the advanced guard of the Cossack 
cavalry, taking eleven of the Cossack horses 
and a few prisoners. General Drascovitz then 
detached a body of Cossacks to reconnoitre, who 
found the Circassians in possession of a strong 
hold, and prepared for attack. These gave the 
Cossacks a very warm reception; but the General, 
perceiving it, caused some pieces of artillery to 
bear upon his opponents. The noise of cannon 
had never before been heard in Circassia : the 
rocks of Caucasus repeated the dreadful uproar 
of the guns ; and the natives, at the very sound, 
fled in all directions. The Russian army then Advance of 
rapidly advancing, burned and destroyed eight Amy. ,ack 
villages, took eight thousand head of cattle, 
besides a quantity of arms and other valuables. 
The number of the dead on the side of the Cir- 
cassians amounted in one village to thirty-seven, 
