80 
EXTORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAIN CHIEFS. 
twenty-five or thirty years before his zeal for the ways of Chris¬ 
tianity manifested itself, along with the first appearance of the 
Russian military posts along the valley ; which about that time 
began to escort travellers, and merchandise, through its dangerous 
passes. Prior to this period, both merchant, and charge, de¬ 
pended on the good faith of the chiefs through whose possessions 
he must travel. To them he looked for protection, guides, and. 
not beasts of burthen, but men to transport his goods from 
Europe into Georgia; every article being then, from the track¬ 
less roads, of necessity carried on the backs of the natives. Thfe 
hire of these was an immense expense; besides which, each inde¬ 
pendent chief exacted a large sum for the privilege of passing 
through his territory. Other tolls were also paid in the shape 
of cloth, linen, leather, &c. just as the will of the extortioners 
chose to demand. Indeed, the whole of these impositions being 
arbitrary, it depended entirely on the consciences of the de- 
manders, at what charge the poor defenceless trafficker should 
convey away any part of his property ; and it has often been 
found, that he purchased safety and the transport of one-half of 
his goods at the dear rate of relinquishing the other. And yet, 
that has not been the worst of it; for instances have occurred, 
when, after the proprietors of a rich convoy have paid this sort 
of price for the secure progress of the remainder, the chief him¬ 
self, who had received the purchase for protection, has secretly 
dispatched parties of his own people to lie in wait; and, on the 
coming up of the unfortunate merchants, they have been at¬ 
tacked, plundered, and murdered. No wonder, then, that the 
governments of some of these merchants should take the safe 
o 
conduct into their own hands; and literally show the old pos¬ 
sessors of the pass, that their rapacity had cut up the bird with 
