TO THE FRONTIER OF CIRCASSIA. 
49 
upon his horse ; and the loss of a favourite steed chap. 
is the greatest family misfortune he can sustain. 
The poorer sort of Cossacks dwell beneath the 
same roof with their horses, lie down with them 
at night, and make them their constant com- 
panions. The horses of Circassia are of a nobler 
race than those of the Cossacks : they are of the 
Arab kind, exceedingly high bred, light and 
small. The Cossack generally acknowledges his 
inability to overtake a Circassian in pursuit. 
The brother of Mr. Kovalensky of Taganrog, by state of 
cultivating the friendship of one of the Circassian 
Princes, passed over the mountainous ridge of 0A ’’ US ' 
Caucasus in perfect safety and protection. 
According to his account, a stranger, who has 
voluntarily confided in the honour of a Circassian, 
is considered a sacred trust, even by the very 
robbers who would cross the Kuban to carry him 
off and sell him as a slave, if they chanced to find 
him, in their predatory excursions, out of their 
own dominions. Since this account was written, 
one of our countrymen, Mr. Mackenzie, passed 
the defile of Caucasus, previous to a campaign 
in which he served with the Russian army in 
Persia. His escort consisted of an hundred 
infantry and fifty Cossacks, with a piece of artil- 
lery. During thirteen days spent in the passage. 
