y801-] Defeription of the Countries adjoining the Cafpian Sea. 
Aku(cha, Kubts, &c. to trace whofe ori- 
gin and languages is one of the moft dif- 
ficult problems of hiftory, and which pro- 
bably wever will be refolved. The lan- 
guages of the different nations are very 
numerous, and branch out into an incre- 
dible number of dialeéts ; fome of which 
deviate entirely from the known languages 
of Afia and Europe, fo that they admit of 
no comparifon therewith ; others confilt 
of a mixture of wholly unknown with 
known languages ; others again are known 
ancient languages without any foreign ad- 
mixture; others, in fine, are a°mixture af 
feveral known ancient languages; to this 
clafg belong the Old-Georgian, Mongo- 
lian, Perfian, Arabic, and Tartarian !an- 
guages. Every new? contribution to- 
wards a more intimate acquaintance with 
fo remarkable a portion of the globe de- 
ferves attention; and that the more fo, 
as by the marching of a Ruffian army - 
againft the frontiers of Perfia,-and the cap- 
ture of the city of Derbent in the year 
1796, the defire to gain a more accurate 
knowledge of thofe regions has of late 
greatly increafed. The Marfhal won Bie- 
ferficig, when the Ruffian army advanced 
jnto thofe countries, remained there a con- 
fiderable time ; and, poffeffing all the re- 
quifite {cientific knowledge, and efpecially 
of natural hitiory, did not obferve in a cur- 
fory and fuperficial manner, but examin- 
ed narrowly and accurately into whatever 
he faw. To his obferyations: and re- 
fearches we are indebted for a more accu- 
rate defcription of a great number of 
plants, which were before unknown to bo- 
tanilis, or at leaft were fo indiftinétly and 
fuperficially charaéterifed in the catalogues 
of the more ancient, that in the fyftemati- 
cal arrangements &f the more modern bo- 
tanifts, efpecially of Linnzus and his dif- 
ciples, they have been altogether omitted. 
Much valuable information likewife oc- 
curs relative to the other branches of na- 
tural hiftory.—We hope then, that the 
following extraéts, containing a topogra- 
phy of the countries between the Terek 
and the Kur, will prove acceptable to our 
geographical readers. | 
TOPOGRAPHY of the COUNTRIES betwixt 
the TEREK and KUR. 
THE tract of land fituate along the 
Cafpian fea, between the rivers Terek and 
Kur, whofe length, from the 39th to the 
44th degree of riorthern latitude, amounts 
to 75 German miles, but whofe breadth is 
various, and for the moft part inconfidera- 
ble in proportion to its length, contains 
213 
fomewhat more.than 2500°French fquare= 
miles ; and is divided into three provinces, 
Kumuk, Dagheitan, and Schirwan, of 
which the firft is more dependent on Ruf- 
fia, and the two latter on Perfia. 
The Province of Kumik, between the ri- 
vers Terek and Koilu (Kor/ia or Koyun- 
Sui*) comprehends a fertile plain watered 
by thefe two rivers and by the Akfai and 
Kafma, and the next. adjoining mountaing 
to the weft. It is under the government 
of feveral Kumtik Begs, of whom the 
two moft powerful refide in the cities 
AkAi and Endery (called by the Ruffians 
Andrewka) at the foot of the mountains ; 
and is inhabited hy the Kumuk and No- 
gai Tartars, and by Armenian and Geoy- 
gian merchants, who dwell in the cities, 
In winter the Lefgians (Lefgha or Leki, 
in Ruffian, Lefghinzi) defcend likewife with 
their herds ‘from the’mountains iato the 
plain ; for the liberty of doing which they - 
pay atribute. The Nogai Tartars keen 
numerous herds, and dwell in moveable 
felt-huts, near the wells and banks of the 
rivers and canals. The length of this 
province is about eleven, and the breadth 
eight, German miles. i 
Daghejian (or Mountain-land) between 
the Koifu and the rivulet Rubas, compre- 
hends four {mall ftates : 1, the territory of 
the Schamchal (Schamm.Ghal or pre- 
perly Schabaal) firetches about 14 Ger- 
man miles along the thore of the Cafpian 
fea from the Kuru-Koifu (a branch of the 
Koifu, which is dettitute of water except 
when the fnow diffolves in the monntains, 
and is therefore called the dry Koifu) to 
the rivulet Urufai-Bulak (Ruffian Spring); 
and is in breadth from feven to eight Ger- 
man miles. The plain is moftly in tillage 
and produces corn; being well watered 
and fertilized by the rivers and brooks 
which defcend from the neighbouring 
mountains, and are divided into a num- 
ber of canals. In it we find only houfes 
or theds for cattle: the dwellings of the 
inhabitants are fituated in the mountains, 
which are covered with woods, fteep and 
interfected by many narrow glens. Be- 
tween the Ofeni and Manafla (Manas), 
two uncommonly rapid and impetuous 
* The names inclofed within- parenthefes 
both here and in the fequel are taken from 
Dr. Reineggs’s General Hifforico-topographical De- 
Jeription of Caucafus, @c. (vol. 1. Gotha and 
Peterfburg 1796, with three plates vol. IT; 
Hildefheim and Peterfburgh, 1797, with a 
coloured map)—-a worl which contains a 
number of important accounts and obferva- 
tions, from the papers of aman who three 
times travelled over Mount Caucafus. 
Yivers 
