Snow-shoes (pl. So, fig. 4) occur among the mountain-races. The dress of the women is quite similar, except that they close the overall to the top, generally by means of gold clasps and pins, and that they wear full trousers, and often, as do the men sometimes, have gashed sleeves hanging down from the overall (pl. So, figs. 1, 2, to). The unmarried girls wear close-fitting leather chemises until their marriage, the husband being the first to open them. They also wear the hair free, plaited into a queue; the married women, on the other hand, wear veils (pl. So, figs. I, 2), and all women when they appear in public are wrapped in long veils.
The head-wear is either a fur hat, often very broad, with a woollen cover (pl. So, fig. 3), or a melon-shaped felt cap (pl. So, figs.
The peculiar high felt caps (pl. So, fig. 9) are much worn in the high mountains. Among the Imeritians and the Georgians we find a small, black, embroidered cap (pl. So, fig. 7), which is secured under the chin by a band. Cloths over the head are also much worn (bashliks), like those of the Tcherkesse, Plate So (fig. it, at the left), except that here it is of wire as a sort of helmet.
have a variety of ornaments, many being very handsome, particularly ear-rings (pl. So, fig. 5) and brooches of solid gold or filigree-work. Sometimes they have shoes (pl. So, fig. to) like those in Japan. It is evident that their costume is merely slightly modified from the Mongolian; that of the Turcoman on Plate 72 (fig. 5) is entirely Mongolian, and the peculiar feature of the Caucasian costume, the double coat, is also Mongolian.
Social Mohammedan is the prevalent religion in Daghestan; polygamy is therefore allowed, but among the people it is rare on account of the expense, and among the Christianized nations of course it does not exist. It is a curious custom that a married man does not like to be found in his wife's company, and does not speak of her or of his children; this indicates that here also the women were originally held to be less holy than the men.
dwellings stand in circles or in parallelograms, and in such a manner that the inner space forms a common farmyard with only one exit, while each house has a door and a window facing exter nally. They are of one story, made of twisted work, covered on both sides with clay, and the beam roofs are covered with grass The men live by themselves, and the house of the prince is apart from the ring (p1. So, figs. 1o, II, background). In their frequent wanderings they build conical-shaped tents, which they cover with grass, or they use portable felt }'arts.
Near the villages on the mountain-tops are burial monuments—square shaped stone buildings, with a wooden pillar fashioned into a head on each corner, the rude mementos of the dead. The graves of the princes are larger, and consist of hexagonal or octagonal buildings like chapels, standing in a row together (pl. So, fig. 6). Sorrow for the dead is shown by loud lamentations and by painful wounds which the survivors inflict upon themselves.
—The weapons were in early times the bow and arrow, the former with the same ease-like covering as among the Turcomaus; the latter worn in a quiver on the right side, over which a manv-colored piece of stuff ,hangs as a covering (p1. So, fig. r t, left); heavy, club-like staves
with iron heads (pl. So, fig. rt, right); a dagger-like, strong knife worn in the belt at the front of the body (p1. So, II, left; fig. 3, left); and at the left side a large curved sword, this, like the dagger, being without hilt-guard, but often ornamented in a costly manner (N. So, figs. 3, t r).
In ancient times, and to-day in the highlands, as among the Chefsurs, the men wore coats of mail made of chain reaching as far as the hips, and iron helmets like the Tcherkesses (p1. So, fig. rr, left). These also sometimes wear a white woollen jacket over the coat of mail. The rid ing whip in the left hand is evidently derived from the Turks. European weapons are now coming into use throughout the country.
original form of government was like that of most of the Mongolian states: the prince stood high above the people; then fol lowed the nobility, then the peasants, who were either vassals or adscripts. Between the nobility and the peasants a class of freemen has arisen who have received freedom from the nobility. The prince was all-powerful, having command over life, limb, and property of his subjects; the peas ants were similarly subject to the nobles. This arose from the Mongolian view that the higher classes stand n6rer to the gods, and therefore alone have full privileges. Revenge by blood-shedding prevails everywhere, but may be bought off with money.
the original religion of the Circassian people little is left, and this little is best seen among the mountain-tribes who call themselves Christians, like the Chefsurs. They have one supreme god of war, from whom proceed numerous others, Christian and heathen: the earth is holy, and their two " gods of the west and east " seem to indicate some old worship of the heavens; their "god of spirits" refers to a former ruler of the lower world; moreover, they believe in protecting spirits and in gods of nature of all kinds; they have holy groves and countless superstitions; in short, they stand in their heathen religious views, so far as we can follow them, very near to the Mongolians.
In character they are indolent, particularly those in the plains, yet fond of war, violent, and revengeful, but with certain chivalrous traits; and their hospitality and love of drinking-bouts are well known. They have nothing to show in art, but their literature, which is mostly oral, possesses many pretty epic legends and short lyric poems.
This description gives the principal features of the national life of the Caucasian people, and is true, in general, of all the races of the moun tain-country with their many dialects. Where Russian dominion has repressed the constant wars of the mountain-races and has opened up the previously pathless highlands, European culture has entered and brought numerous changes.
From our description of the various peoples whom we call Mongolians it is clear that they make one great family. Costumes, houses, weapons, manner of living, government, religion, treatment of the dead, and belief in the future, are so surprisingly alike that we are justified in pronouncing them one and the same stock.