steal our horses as you have been in the habit of doing. We will admit none here but such as will take the oath to live like honest folks and good Mussulmans."

This language was at least frank and explicit, and the latter part I believe much more intelligible than the former; for in what manner, under existing circumstances, an army from the Abbassaks was to be supported here was a problem, as I have before intimated, of rather difficult solution. The utmost that could be expected was, that some of their most distinguished warriors (for individual prowess is here as much esteemed as it was with us in the days of King Arthur) should cheer by their presence the struggling population of the belligerent provinces. But however this might be, our rebuke was taken in very good part by the ambassadors, who engaged on their return to propagate as far as they were able this desirable spirit among the people of their province, who, they nevertheless declared to us, only required to be assured of the probability of England's interference to induce them to rally to a man against the Muscovite.

The same disposition, they said, prevailed in the provinces of Zadoog, Kerkenai, Hatukoi, Demigni, Makoish, Besin, and Beslebai, which, with those of Shapsook and Natukvitch, enclose them as a

common centre.

The most remote of these would

take courage, and manfully resist the encroachments of Russia, provided there was the least prospect of their being ultimately assisted from abroad. The report had already reached them of Englishmen having landed in Circassia; and to keep alive the enthusiasm that had been created there, it was advisable to send them something, if it were only some superfluous portion of our wearing apparel, that would serve as ocular demonstration of the fact.

The conference closed with an expression of mutual good will; and acting upon the hint they had given us, as well as the recommendation of the judge, we made each of them as handsome a present as we could.

CHAPTER VIII.

Proclamation of the Russian General, and reply of the Circassians-Portraits of the Council-Landed Property among the Circassians-Presents-The Biter Bit.

IN two days the heralds returned from the Russian camp; they had overtaken General Willemineff at Ghelendjek, and said that although he had received them personally with great politeness, he had treated their propositions with derision. With respect to England in general, and their English visitors in particular, he had spoken in the most disparaging terms. The latter, he said, were unprincipled adventurers, who were endeavouring to mislead them for their own private ends, and that the best thing they could do was to cut them into pieces, or send them out of the country immedi

ately. With respect to themselves, they had but one course to adopt, and that was submission to the Emperor. "And in case we should not adopt it," demanded the heralds, "what will be the consequence?" "Dreadful!" replied the General. "But that your countrymen may know my mind on the subject, I will instruct my Turkish secretary to draw up a manifesto on the subject, from which they may learn what they have to expect should they persist in this hopeless contest. Two days will I allow them for reflection; at the end of which time, should they refuse to submit, I shall march upon Pchat, burning every habitation in the way."

As the tamatas had foreseen, the heralds were plied hard with brandy and other stimulants, in order that something might be elicited from them as to the resources and intentions of their countrymen; but they had been on their guard, and both with respect to themselves and their English visitors, had, as they flattered themselves, by their ingenious falsehoods, made egregious asses of their catechisers. They had finally left the camp in very bad humour, as the general had made them no presents.

The proclamation of General Willemineff, which has already been published, has, I understand, been pronounced spurious by some of the German news

papers, notoriously in the pay of Russia. It is nevertheless genuine. Both Mr. Bell and myself saw the General's signature subscribed to it, and it was twice translated to us verbatim; so that there cannot exist a doubt as to its authenticity. But the truth is, it never was intended for the ears of Europeans, but merely, by the blasphemous bombast it contains, to strike terror into the Circassians. Even in this point of view, however, it proved a failure, and only shewed Willemineff's complete ignorance with regard to the character and intelligence of the people he had undertaken to subjugate. Could he have heard, as we did, the peals of scornful laughter that rose at each moment from the Medjilis during the translation of his manifesto, I think he must have felt heartily ashamed of it. He seems to have forgotten that it was not the crouching and defenceless population of the steppes he was addressing, but a hardy race of mountaineers, who had learnt to venerate themselves as men, and whose religion taught them to view the being he was elevating into a god with contempt and abhorrence-the children of the wilderness!—imbued with its untameable spirit— who felt, when the contest had become too hot and unequal on the plains, they had only to plunge into their native forests and fastnesses, and dare him to follow them.