The Circassians usually dwell in villages, which, part ly on account of the increasing filth, partly from the in sufficient security which they afford, or other causes, they from time to time desert. On such occasions, the dwelling places are demolished, the timber together with the household furniture is carried off, and what can not be removed is burnt. The attention of the migrat ing horde is next directed to the choice of a convenient situation, on which to erect a new village. If the spot chosen for this purpose is at a distance from water, they conduct with much ingenuity a canal from the next rivu let, by means of it to obtain a supply of this essential ar ticle. The houses are built contiguous to each other, in the form either of a circle or square, and so that the inner space serves as a common large cattle-yard, pro vided with only one gate, while it is altogether inclosed, and as it were defended by the circumjacent houses. The dwelling of the Usden, which is commonly large and commodious, and fitted up in such a manner as to afford to the occupants every desirable convenience, stands apart from this group of buildings, destined for the use of the general mass of the population. Small solitary houses, or rather square rooms, with every suit able appendage, are built here and there for the accom modation of visitors. This is all that occurs in these parts, in the character of public inns, which indeed arc unnecessary among a people whose hospitality is such, that they will contend with each other who shall entertain any stranger that happens to come among them. There are also erected occasionally in the open fields, round huts of wicker work, containing a pit to be used as a place of retreat. In the vicinity of the village are plac ed stacks of hay and corn provided with a fence, and the corn that has been thrashed is sometimes preserved in large baskets, fixed for that purpose on the ground, and secured with covers.
The houses of the Circassians are constructed in the form of oblong squares, and are commonly not more than from four to five fathoms in length, and about nine feet broad. The walls are made of close wicker-work, care fully plastered on both sides with clay ; and on the posts which support the walls the flat roof is placed, consisting of light rafters covered with long grass. The female and the male parts of the family commonly occupy their separate and appropriate parts in the dwelling ; and, ge nerally, both in their houses and villages, as well as in re spect to their clothes, diet, and other matters of domestic or individual economy and arrangement, much attention is paid to neatness, cleanliness, and order. The dress worn here by the men, is neat, light, and becoming. Above the lower part of it, which is made of a sort of light stuff, persons of distinction wear sometimes a short rich waistcoat, as it were to supply the place of armour, and this either with or without a great coat. The upper dress, consisting either of cloth or other strong woven stuff, is sOnleM hat shorter than the under garment ; the sleeves are slit open, and frequently bordered with furs. The breeches arc provided with knee-straps, and the seams bound with small lace or embroidery, which the women very skilfully manufacture of gold and silver threads. The upper garment is regularly furnished with a small embroidered pocket on each side of the breast, for containing cartridges. The whiskers are suffered to grow ; and on the head, which is shorn in the Polish fashion, there is worn an embroidered cap, quilted with cotton in the form of a melon, but occasionally lower, and, amongst the wealthy especially, ornamented with va rious gold and silver laces. It is a custom of this coun try, that the girls, between the 10th and 12th years of their age, arc provided with laced stays, or a broad gir dle made of untanned leather ; which singular coat of mail, as they arc obliged to wear it till their wedding night, is among the common people tightly sewed round the waist, or in the higher classes fastened with silver hooks. The gordian knot thus formed, the bridegroom,
at the time specified, undoes with a sharp-cutting dag ger; a ceremony not unfrequently attended with danger. Over the shift the younger females wear a laced jacket, because the petticoat, which reaches to the ankles, is open along the whole front, and resembles that of a man ; but married women dress in wide breeches. The cloaks worn by the women are longer than those, m other respects generally of a similar description, that are in use among the men. They are likewise frequently white ; a colour of which those of the men never are. The head-dress worn in earlier years consists of a simple cap, somewhat similar in form to that used by the males. This is usually of a red or rose colour, but varying as to richness and decorations with the rank of the par ties. Under it the hair is turned up in a thick queue, which is covered with linen. This mode of dressing is continued till after the female has been delivered of her first child, when she begins to cover the head with a white handkerchief, drawn close over the forehead, and fastened under the chin. When females have occasion to leave the house, they wear a sort of wooden clogs, to keep their feet clean, and at the same time make use of mittens on their tender hands. Painting the face is con sidered as an indication of the want of chastity ; but it is allowed to girls to dye the nails of their fingers with the Rowers of the balsamina, which, in the language of the country, is known by the name of Kna.
When a prince, or Usden, pays a visit in full dress, be is arrayed in all his accoutrements and coat of arms, with sometimes also an additional jacket of mail. Those coats of mail are manufactured of polished steel rings, and imported partly from Persia, partly from Kubesha, to the nations inhabiting the Caucasian mountains. The hel met and the arm-plates, from the former of which a net of ringlets hang down as far as the shoulders, arc manu factured of polished steel. In the girdle there are usually stuck a dagger and pistols ; and the bow and quiver are fastened round the loins by straps. In common visits, the coat of mail is worn under the upper dress, the head is covered with an ordinary cap, and the only armour used is a sabre. Without the sabre, persons of wealth and rank never leave their houses ; nor do they venture beyond the limits of the village, without being complete ly arrayed, and having their breast-pockets supplied with ball-cartridges. When persons of the lower classes do not carry a sabre, with other arms, they provide them selves with a strong staff, two arshincs long, on the top of which is fixed a large iron head, and on the lower end a sharp iron pike, of the length of about eighteen inches. This sort of dart they are accustomed to throw with much expertness. In their dress, generally, there seems not to be a very scrupulous adaptation among the people in this rank of life, between what they wear and the state of the weather, as it is not unusual to sec them walking in the fields, dressed in their shaggy felt cloaks, called Burke, even in the warm days of summer. In stead of the Material mentioned, these cloaks arc some times formed of sheep-skins. They are fastened at the neck with a string ; and, not being large enough to cover the whole body, they are necessarily turned round upon it, according to the state of the wind and weather.