54 
COSSACKS. 
The Cossacks are tall and well made, generally haw'k-nosed, and 
of good mien. They are hardy, vigorous, brave, and extremely jea- 
lous of what is most valuable in life, their liberty ; fickle and wavering, 
but sociable, cheerful, and sprightly. They are a very powerful people, 
and their forces consist wholly of cavalry. Their dialect is a com- 
pound of the Polish and Russian language, but the latter is the most 
predominant. They were formerly Pagans or Mahometans ; but upon 
their entering into the Polish service, they were baptized Christians 
of the Romish communion ; and now that they belong to Russia, they 
profess themselves members of the Greek church. 
Each of their towns, with the district belonging to it, is governed 
by an officer called cettoman, attaman, or hettman. The Cossacks 
in general are of great service to garrison towns by way of defence, 
or to pursue an enemy, but are not so good at regular attacks. 
Don Cossacks, (so called from their residence on the banks, of the 
Don.) — In 1599, w hen the czar, John Basilowitz, w as emperor of Rus- 
sia, they voluntarily put themselves under his protection, and are at this 
time on a pretty equal footing with the other Russian subjects. They 
have several towns and villages on the banks of the Don ; but are 
prevented from extending farther up the country, by the scarcity of 
fresh water and wood in many places. Their chief support is grazing 
and agriculture, and occasionally robbing and plundering, for which 
they want neither capacity nor inclination. Every town is governed 
by a magistrate called tamann ; and the tamanns, with their towns, 
are under the jurisdiction of two attamans, who reside at Tsherkasky. 
The troops of these Cossacks consist entirely of cavalry ; and their 
manners in general resemble those of the Zaporog Cossacks. In this 
country all the towns and villages are fortified, and encompassed with 
palisades, to defend them against the incursions of the Calmucs and 
Kuban Tartars, with whom they are continually at w ar. The Hei- 
damack or Seitsh Cossacks have their particidar hettman. They inha- 
bit the Russian, Polish, and Turkish dominions on the Dnieper. 
The Yaik Cossacks, dwell on the south side of the river Yaik, and, 
upon the success of the Russian arms in the kingdom of Astracan, 
voluntarily submitted to them. In stature they greatly resemble the 
other Cossacks ; though by their boorish manner of living, and inter- 
marriages with the Tartars, they have not the shape and air peculiar 
to the rest of their countrymen. Their natural dispositions and 
customs are, how'ever, nearly the same. Husbandry, fishing, and 
feeding of cattle are their principal employments ; and, like the other 
tribes they slip no opportunity of making depredations on their 
neighbours. Their continual war with’ the Kara Kalpacs, and the 
Kasal-Shaia-Horda, oblige them to keep their towns and villages in 
a state of defence. They are indeed subject to Russian waywodes, to 
whom they pay an annual tribute in corn, wax, honey, and cattle ; but 
they have also their particular chiefs, w ho govern them according to 
their ancient customs. Though the generality of the Yaik Cossacks 
profess the Greek religion, yet a great many relics of Mahometanism 
and Paganism ai’e still found among them. 
Being naturally bold and hardy, they make excellent soldiers ; and 
they are not so turbulent as the other Cossacks. They live entirely 
