COSSACKS OF THE BLACK SEA. 
considering them as an inferior band of plun- 
derers when in actual service. But it may 
be said, the Tchernomorski entertain the same 
sentiments with regard to them ; making re- 
marks similar to those urged by the unedu- 
cated and low r er class of Englishmen concerning 
foreigners ; such as, that “ one Cossack of the 
Black Sea is a match for any three of his neigh- 
bours of the Don” The Russian regards both 
with aversion, and affects to consider them as 
beneath his notice, and as unworthy of his 
society, for no other assignable reason than 
ignorance or envy. The Cossack is rich ; the 
Russian is poor. The Cossack is high-minded ; 
the Russian is abject. The Cossack is, for the 
most part, clean in his person, honourable, 
valiant, often well-informed, and possesses, with 
his loftiness of soul, a very noble stature : the 
Russian is generally filthy, unprincipled, das- 
tardly, always ignorant, and is rarely dignified 
by any elevation of mind or body'. 
(l) When Mr. IJeler was in this country, his friend Mr. Ttunnton , 
the companion of his travels, lost his gun ; aud they left JZkatcrinedara , 
supposing it to he stolen ; as travellers in Russia are constantly liable 
to thefts of every description. To their great surprise, however, when 
they arrived at Taman, the gun was brought to them. An express 
had been sent after them, who had travelled the whole distance from 
Ekaterinedara to Taman , to restore the gun to its owner; and the 
person 
9 
CHAP. 
I. 
1 * 
Cossacks 
distin- 
guished 
from Rus- 
sians. 
