CIRCASSIAN COSTUME. 
139 
from the lowering eye of the dark-visaged Georgian. The 
costume of this people suits well with the superior order of their 
figures. It is martial and graceful. They wear on the head a 
low cap, a little pointed at top, bound with fur; on this they 
place a bright steel helmet, terminating in a spiked crest: from 
the casque, depends a chain-mail, hanging a little over the fore¬ 
head, but completely covering the ears, and, from thence, closing 
under the chin, falls down the breast; and, by being attached to 
the hinder part of the helmet, hangs a short way down the back 
also ; thus skirting the whole bust of the figure, but leaving the 
face perfectly open. A shirt of this chain-mail, covers the body 
also, to a little beneath the hips; and likewise defends the arms, 
as low down as the elbow, where it meets a kind of iron plate 
fitted to the arm, and reaching from the elbow to the wrist; here 
a gauntlet of mail, attached to a glove, falls loosely over the 
hand. A kind of gambeson, usually of red cloth embroidered 
with gold, comes up as high as the knee; and a short boot of 
brown or red leather protects the foot. Over the shirt of mail 
they put a surcoat of cloth or velvet, according to the quality of 
the wearer. A pistol, sword, and dagger, together with a light 
gun, are their usual weapons; bows and arrows being, now, 
seldom resorted to in war, though in common times they are 
often seen about their persons. In short, their whole appear¬ 
ance, excepting that of the fire-arms, differs nothing from the 
garb of the English baron, in the reign of King John. To show 
how expert they have become in the use of the fusil, as well as 
what dexterous horsemen they are, I shall merely mention one 
instance. One morning, while riding with the Circassian Prince, 
and Colonel Yarmolloff, the Governor’s nephew, the former put 
his horse off at speed; and, while going the distance of a werst, 
t 2 
