364 
DON COSSACKS. 
c hap. were exhibited for our inspection, and consisted 
' v ‘ chiefly of presents from different sovereigns, 
standards, and embroidered flags bearing the 
Imperial arms ; politic donations, serving as 
memorials, lest the Cossacks might forget to 
what empire they belonged. Here we saw 
lances, fashioned after the Asiatic manner, with 
tufts of fine camel’s hair hanging from the point. 
Perhaps the origin of such an appendage may 
be referred to those barbarous periods when 
Oriental nations drank the blood of their ene- 
mies. An instrument of the same form has 
been already described ; it is used by the 
Calmucks, for drinking brandy; they thrust a 
small lance with a tuft of camel’s hair into the 
stills containing the spirit they procure from 
mare's milk, and squeeze the tuft into the palm 
of the hand, in order to drink what it has 
thus absorbed 1 . With these lances were also 
preserved silver-headed staves of their Atamans; 
illuminated and beautiful manuscripts, chiefly 
certificates of the brave conduct of their people 
in war, sent as testimonials by various sove- 
reigns whom they had served; and a map of 
their territory, by the hand of the late Empress 
Catherine. The standards she presented to 
(l) See p. 314 of this Volume. 
