7. The Lantur, Galgai or Ingushians, differ entirely front all other inhabitants of the Caucasus, in language, as well as in stature and features. Their manner of pro nouncing is as if their mouths were full of sto,les; they are said to be an honest and brave set of people, who maintain their independence, and are subject only to their elders or priests, by whom their religious sacri fices are performed. They are almost the only nation inhabiting the Caucasus among whom the shield has been preserved as a part of their accoutrements. They are excellent marksmen, but giving little attention either to agriculture or the rearing of cattle, they are conse quently in a state of poverty ; they live in the vicinity of the sources of the rivers Kumbelu and Sunsha, and tend their habitations along the high mountains of the eastern hank of the Terek, where they border on the Ossetines. The Karubulakes likewise border on the In gushians towards the west, and on the Tshetshentzes to wards the east. These three last communities speak nearly the same language, which is not known to have the least analogy to any other dialect except that spoken at Tusnet : in respect of this similarity, the judicious Guldenstadt has thought fit to class them altogether un der the common denomination of Mitzdshegis or Kesti, who appear to be the remainder of the true Alanians. They are by no means, however, of the same national character—the Tshetshentzes, indeed, differing so radi cally from the Ingushians, as to be justly considered the most turbulent, hostile, and predatory inhabitants of the mountains.
S. Of the Suani, like the last mentioned people, a race of mountaineers, the habitations on the southern basis of the Elburus, extend to the west as far as the source of the Engur ; towards the south they border on the princi pality Dadian, and the Inicretian province of Odishi , towards the cast, on the source of the Tzenis-t•kale of horse river, the Hippos, undoubtedly, of the ancients They live dispersed in particular families, are great de predators, yet call the nradves Christians; they pay soon attention to agrif ilium. and the rearing of cattle. Their principal inn rcourse is v‘ith the provinces of Imeretia and Mingrelia. The amount of their popidation is not exactly known, hut it not (0 be considerable.
In the Caucasian mountains, besides the tribes which have thus been •ttunn rated, there occur several others ; the who inhabit the province of Lesgistun, in the eastern Caucasus, between Kakhetty and Daghestan; they are divided into 27 stems, and are totally indepen dent.. The Taulintziam;, who occupy the summits of
the mountains, are also divided into several petty tribes, and acknowledge the protection of Persia. The Aitt aerlioiaus, who dwell in the Vallies formed by the moun tains of Ghilan, and, though they often change their pa tron-sovereign, have recently owned a subjection to the Persian monarch. Among the modern inhabitants of the environs of the Caucasus, may be also included those Kozaks of Russia, or other colonists, who have been re cently settled along the banks of scone of the principal rivers, chiefly those in tl,e north, and who serve as a cor don to check the incursions of the nativ e predatory tribes. For an account of the Georl..,iaus or Grusinians, the most numerous and powerful body of the inhabit ants of these mountains, see the article G Eon GI A.
The appellation by which the whole of this mountain ous range, the highest and most extensive in the north ern part of Asia, is distinguished. that of Caucasus is supposed to have been transmitted to the Greeks, in con sequence of their intercourse with the Persians. In the language of this people, can or col signifies a mountain, whence, it is said, was formed coh cas, or the mountain of the Chasas, an ancient formidable tribe who inhabited the immense tract extending front the eastern limits of India to the confines of Persia, and probably as far as the Luxinc and Mediterranean seas. Captain \\Ilford in forms us, (.?siatic Researches, vol. vi. p. 455.) that the Chasas are often mentioned in the sacred books of the llindoos. Their descendants still inhabit the same re gions, and continue to be called by' the same name. They belonged to the class of warriors, but they have been degraded, agreeably to the institutes of Menu, in consequence of their omission of the holy rites, and of seeing no Bramins. Isidorus (Orig. I. 14. c. 28.) says, that Caucasus, in the eastern languages, signifies white ; and that a mountain close to it is called Casis by the Scy' thians, in whose language it signifies snow and white ness. Sec Pallas's Travels through the Southern Pro vinces of the Russian Empire in the years 1793-4, Vol. i. Tooke's View of the Russian Empire, vol. i. Campen hausen's Travels through several Provinces of the Rus sian Empire, Stc. ; and De Bieberstein's Tableau des pro vinces occident. do la M•r Caspiennc, Petersburg, 1798. (a)