THE COSSACKS—THE CIRCASSIANS—THE MAMELUKES.
UNDER the name of Cossacks of the Bug, of the Don, of the Ural, of
Orenburg, of Astrakhan—Cossacks of the Black Sea—and Siberian
Cossacks—this hardy and spirited race is disseminated over all the
southern portions of European and Asiatic Russia. Every man of them,
between the age of fifteen and fifty, is a soldier, eager for war, and
ready to engage in it, no matter at what extremity of the earth. The
Russian empire is undoubtedly indebted to these tribes for the vast
extension of its dominion; and Europe has to thank them for the
preservation of her civilization, when threatened by the ruthless Tartar
invaders. Nature seems to have fitted the Cossack to become the
conqueror of the Tribes of the Desert by endowments as peculiar as those
which enable the camel to traverse it. Distance and climate vanish
before his wandering and adventurous spirit: the regions where the
burning sun destroys all life and vegetation, or those where “the frost
burns frore and cold produces the effect of fire,” have never stayed his
purpose, or arrested his onward march. With singular versatility he
adapts himself to all outward circumstances; as occasion requires, he
combines with his warlike profession the labours of the husbandman, the
fisher, the herdsman, and the trader, and readily abandons one character
to adopt the other whenever it may be needful. It is not only at the
point of the lance he has subdued the wild inhabitants of so large a
portion of the globe; but by his wonderful facility of adapting himself
to the customs of the wilderness, and establishing a commercial
intercourse with its fiercest hordes. It required a mixture of the
reckless and wandering spirit of the sons of Ishmael, with the intense
love of gain peculiar to the children of Israel, both of which his
character exhibits, to form the wandering merchant, who could trade and
defend his merchandise, and who would penetrate, to effect his purpose,
a thousand miles away from his station, either towards the hyperborean
regions, or through the parched plains of the naked Steppes.
A Russian Tsar might speedily collect from amongst this people a larger
and more formidable force of cavalry than the whole of united Europe
could bring together; and in all the regular cavalry of the Russian
line, there never was a horseman, however laboriously drilled, whom the
untutored Cossack would not charge, wheel round, and overcome, though
armed _cap-a-pie_, with his mere _nagaica_, or whip. The Cossacks are
invaluable as light cavalry; they are the most daring and intelligent
foragers in the world, who take care of themselves by instinct, and
without taxing the foresight or the ingenuity of the general. Spreading
on every side, they strike terror into the neighbourhood, and render it
almost impossible to surprise a Russian force. Brought up amongst
turbulent tribes, the vigilant Cossack never exposes himself to be taken
unawares, as all other light troops do, when scattered abroad; and thus
he can act even in the midst of a guerilla peasantry.
France still remembers with shuddering rage the two irruptions of those
terrible barbarians upon her soil. The fearful image of another Cossack
invasion has been embodied by Beranger, the greatest poet of France, in
his “Chant du Cosaque,” thus vigorously translated by “Father Prout:”—
Come, arouse thee up, my gallant horse, and bear thy rider on!
The comrade thou, and the friend I trow, of the dweller on the Don:
Pillage and death have spread their wings; ’tis the hour to hie thee
forth,
And with thy hoofs an echo wake to the trumpets of the North.
Nor gems, nor gold do men behold upon thy saddle tree;
But earth affords the wealth of lords for thy master and for thee.
Then proudly neigh, my charger grey! Oh! thy chest is broad and ample.
And thy hoofs shall prance o’er the fields of France, and the pride of
her heroes trample.
Europe is weak, she hath grown old, her bulwarks are laid low;
She is loath to hear the voice of war, she shrinketh from a foe:
Come, in our turn, let us sojourn in her goodly haunts of joy,
In the pillared porch to wave the torch, and her palaces destroy:
Proud as when first thou slak’st thy thirst in the flow of conquered
Seine,
Ay, thou shalt lave within that wave thy blood-red flank again: Then
proudly neigh, &c.
Kings are beleaguered on their thrones by their own vassal crew,
And in their den quake noblemen, and priests are bearded too.
And loud they yelp for the Cossack’s help to keep their bondsmen down,
And they think it meet, while they kiss our feet, to wear a tyrant’s
crown.
The sceptre now to my lance shall bow, and the crosier and the cross,
All shall bend alike, when I lift my pike, and aloft that sceptre toss.
Then proudly neigh, &c.
In a night of storm, I have seen a form, and the figure was a giant,
And his eye was bent on the Cossack’s tent, and his look was all
defiant.
Kingly his crest, and toward the West with his battleaxe he pointed;
And the form I saw was—ATTILA—of this earth the scourge anointed:
From the Cossack’s camp let the horseman’s tramp the coming crash
announce;
Let the vulture whet its beak sharp set on the carrion field to pounce!
And fiercely neigh, &c.
What boots old Europe’s boasted fame, on which she sets reliance,
When the North shall launch its avalanche on her works of art and
science?
Hath she not wept her cities swept by our herds of swarming stallions,
And tower and arch crushed in the march of our barbarous battalions?
Can we not wield our fathers’ shield, the same war-hatchet handle?
Do our blades want length, or the reapers strength, for the harvest of
the Vandal?
Then fiercely neigh, my charger grey! Oh! thy chest is broad and ample,
And thy hoofs shall prance o’er the fields of France, and the pride of
her heroes trample.
The horses of the Cossacks, bred on the Steppes, though far inferior to
those of the Circassians, are, nevertheless, a serviceable race,
strong-boned, well-limbed, and with a good proportion of blood; though
their forms are angular and inelegant, and their necks ewed, they are
fast and hardy. The Cossacks, like all equestrian nations, ride with
very short stirrups, and they use only the snaffle bridle.
Why is it that all the regular armies of Europe, including that of
England, have adopted a style of riding which has no one advantage
except that of pleasing the eye, and, in reality, only the eye of those
unacquainted with the true principles of equitation? A rider sitting
bolt upright, with his legs at full stretch, is in the worst possible
position for grasping the animal’s body by the pressure of his thighs,
knees, and calves, for exercising an easy control over the mouth, and
favouring the efforts of the horse by the motions of the rider’s body.
According to all the varieties of the long or military system of riding,
the horse requires as much teaching as the rider; and nearly every
horse, of a vigorous and spirited breed, is ruined by this course of
teaching. “All equestrian nations ride with the bended leg, or as it is
commonly termed, _short_, simply because experience has taught them its
advantages. The English jockies, fox-hunters, and steeple-chasers, who
get the utmost speed out of their horse, who teach him to traverse, and
assist him over the most tremendous leaps, all ride short. The South
American Indians—men who live and die, as it were, on the backs of their
horses—the Moors of the coast of Barbary—and the Bedouin Arabs of the
Desert, all ride short. The extinct body of Mamelukes, who were
Circassians, and the tribes of Circassians now inhabiting the
Caucasus—the most dextrous men in the universe, in the use of their
arms, and the management of their horses, for all the purposes of
combat; who stop them in their wildest gallop, who wheel them round a
hat, and who, not riding more than an average of eleven stone, can lift
from the saddle the most brawny and burly riding-master as if he were a
child—these men not only use nothing but a snaffle, but actually double
up the leg and thigh almost in the following manner: =〉=. One moment’s
examination of the limb in this position, will, by showing the muscles,
both of the calf and inner thigh, brought to their utmost prominence, at
once explain how singularly the powers of adhesion must be increased by
it.
“The seat of a Cossack, who is accustomed to back a horse from his
earliest childhood, is about as short as that of the English fox-hunter.
It is amusing, in the sham fights of Krasnoe Zelo, to see the
contemptuous ease with which a single Cossack forager, will disengage
himself from a dozen or two of cuirassiers of the guard, raining the
blows of his lance-shaft about their helms and shoulders, loosening in
their saddles those who attempt to stop him, and then getting away from
them like a bird, with a laugh of derision in answer to the curses they
mutter after him.”—_Revelations of Russia._
From the perpetual snows of Mount Elbrouz, the highest peak of the
Caucasus, two rivers take their rise, the Kouban and the Terek. The
former flows westward to the Black Sea, while the latter runs in an
opposite direction into the Caspian. The two together form a natural
barrier against the inroads of the Caucasian mountaineers, who are
hemmed in between the respective shores of those great waters. But this
barrier, probably, all the Russian forces would be unable to defend,
were it not for the Tchornomorskie, or Black Sea Cossacks, the most
daring and warlike of their nation, and alone fitted to cope with the
Circassians, to whom only they are inferior. Though in the predatory
excursions, which have desolated both sides of the border, these
Cossacks have, from time to time, carried off and intermarried with
Circassian women, many of whose customs, habits, and part of whose
language and national costume they have adopted; still the
semi-relationship between the two races, has in nowise softened the
unutterable hatred they bear each other. Nothing but the fierce
hostility of the Cossacks could preserve all the Russian establishments
on the northern bank of the Kouban, from utter destruction, by the
inroads of the mountaineers, whose fleet and vigorous horses, bear them
vast distances with inconceivable rapidity. Even now, guarded as it is,
they sometimes force the passage, and mark their track with fire and
blood, retaliating on the flat lands the injustice which the Russian
columns have inflicted on their own hills and dales.
The Circassians are not tall in stature, but exquisitely proportioned,
and of a strength and agility, which constant exercise has wonderfully
developed. The costume of these brave mountaineers is such as to set off
the nervous, though delicate, symmetry of their make. It consists of a
close-fitting frock coat, with rows of cartridge pockets sewn upon the
breast, and tight trowsers, both vestments being generally of some
subdued and sober hue. All the magnificence displayed is in the arms and
the trappings of the steed. The headdress worn in peace, is a round cap,
surrounded by a thick border of black or white sheepskin fur. The war
garb, however, in which the Circassian is oftenest seen, is remarkable
by the addition of an iron helm, surmounted by a spike, in lieu of a
plume; a shirt of exquisitely finished mail, falling from the helmet
over his shoulders, like a lady’s lace veil; and steel armlets, which
seem to form part of the forgotten gauntlet, worn by the knights of old.
Such is the outward appearance of that hardy and intrepid race of
warriors, who have, for fifty years, maintained inviolate the freedom of
their mountain land, withstood the continuous efforts of Russia, and
baffled all the force and cunning of that gigantic empire. Their small
but beautiful horses, which are thoroughbred (that is, derived in almost
uncontaminated purity from the Arab), are so accustomed to their rugged
mountains as to carry the rider over places where he could not scramble
on foot. Sure-footed and agile as the chamois, they gallop down the most
precipitous descents, springing from rock to rock in a manner incredible
to those who have not witnessed with their own eyes how the nature of
the horse adapts itself to the localities in which he is bred.
As the tribes of the Caucasus are often at war with each other, Russia
succeeds occasionally in procuring a hollow show of submission from some
of them. The Emperor has even a regiment of Circassian cavalry, all the
members of which are princes or nobles, and may be considered in the
light of hostages. Even under the yoke of foreign service, these men
retain their fiery independent spirit, and the imperial despot himself
finds it necessary to treat them with much indulgence; for there is an
indomitable obstinacy about them, with which it is considered most
politic not to meddle. They mix very little with the Russians, but live
exclusively in their own circle, exciting an amusing degree of awe on
the tame population which surrounds them. The Russian, in all his pride
of uniform, whether he be officer, soldier, or policeman, has a salutary
dread of interfering with this fierce race, so sensitive to insult, and
so prompt to revenge it. In the street, whenever you see the crowd
carefully making way, you may be sure there is either a general, a
policeman, or a Circassian coming.
Every shot from the rifles of these wild riders tells; and though their
pistols are but indifferent, yet at full gallop they seldom miss their
aim at a piece of paper lying on the ground. Some of the more dextrous
hit with equal certainty a silver ruble piece, or strike the earth so
close to it as to make it fly into the air. With the rifle they practise
the Parthian mode of warfare, shooting behind them as they fly; and, in
order to be able to turn round more readily, and place themselves in the
only position in which it is possible to acquire any accuracy of aim
from the back of a galloping horse, they ride with one stirrup longer
than the other. They also ride with a loose rein, which is found to be
indispensable to secure the safe footing of their steeds over the
precipitous ground which they traverse, because it leaves the animal to
trust entirely to his own judgment and exertion. But on the plain this
habit greatly impairs its speed, as the natural tendency of the horse is
to take short rapid steps instead of long sweeping strides, which he can
only venture on when accustomed, by the assisting hand of his rider, to
gather himself together like the bent bow, ready for fresh distention.
The warfare waged by the Russians against the mountaineers of the
Caucasus is one of blockade merely; the invading armies have never felt
strong enough to advance beyond the protection of their forts in the low
grounds, or to make any decisive inroads into the territory of the
natives. Death or captivity is the invariable fate of every Russian bold
enough to separate two hundred yards from his column, even if no enemy
should have previously been in sight. Often, when a Russian force is on
the march, the Circassians dash through the lines and kill or carry off
the officers, who consider all resistance so hopeless that, on such
occasions, they seldom offer any. The mountaineers, penetrating their
line of skirmishers, have been seen thus to pull them from their horses,
and dash away with them as a cat carries off a mouse.
The famous Mamelukes of Egypt, the last of whom were treacherously
entrapped and murdered by the present viceroy, Mehemet Ali, were all of
them natives of the Caucasus, who had been sold as slaves in their
youth. Having been trained to arms, and emancipated, they continued to
serve their patron, the Bey, as _children of his house_; and such was
the singular constitution of this militia, that no man was admissible
into it except as a purchased slave. Living in luxury, upon the wealth
wrung from an oppressed people, they were as insolent, turbulent,
prodigal, and rapacious as any soldiery that ever existed; but, at
least, they were brave, and excellently skilled in the use of their
weapons, which constituted the sole business of their lives. Their
martial exercises are thus described by Volney:—“Every day, early in the
morning, the greater part of them resort to a plain, outside of Cairo,
and there, riding full speed, exercise themselves in drawing out their
carbine expeditiously from the bandalier, discharging it with good aim,
and then throwing it under their thigh, to seize a pistol, which they
fire and throw over their shoulder, immediately firing a second and
throwing it in the same manner, trusting to the string by which they are
fastened, without losing time to return them to their place. The Beys,
who are present, encourage them; and whoever breaks the earthen vessel,
which serves by way of butt, receives great commendations, and a reward
in money. They practice also the use of the sabre, and especially the
_coup de revers_, which cuts upwards, and is the most difficult to
parry. Their blades are so keen, and they handle them so well, that many
of them can cut a clew of wet cotton like a piece of butter. They
likewise shoot with bows and arrows, though they no longer use them in
battle. But their favourite exercise is throwing the djereed. This word,
which properly means a reed, is generally used to signify any staff
thrown by the hand, after the manner of the Roman pilum. Instead of a
staff, the Mamelukes make use of branches of the palm tree, fresh
stripped; they are in form like the stalk of an artichoke, are four feet
long, and weigh five or six pounds. Armed with these, the cavaliers
enter the lists, and, riding full speed, throw them at each other from a
considerable distance. The assailant, as soon as he has thrown, turns
his horse, and his antagonist pursues and throws in his turn. The
horses, accustomed to this exercise, second their masters so well that,
they seem also to share in the pleasure. But the pleasure is attended
with danger; for some can dart the djereed with so much force as
frequently to wound, and sometimes mortally. Ill-fated was the man who
could not escape the djereed of Ali Bey!”
Baumgarten, an early traveller in the East, gives the following account
of Mameluke exercises performed in presence of the Sultan, who sat in a
balcony of the palace overlooking the field: “On the side of the castle,
there was a large and plain field, which had been before prepared for
this purpose; about the middle of which, on one side, there were three
artificial hillocks of sand, about fifty paces distant from one another;
and on the top of each of them there was fixed a spear, bearing the mark
which the archers were to shoot at; and the like was on the other side;
so that in the middle betwixt them there was as much room left as might
serve for six horses to run abreast. In this plain a great number of
young men clad in richly-embroidered silk, with their usual light arms,
mounted their sprightly horses, and began their games in this manner:—
First: They ran at full career betwixt the first two of these hillocks,
and dextrously shot their arrows at the marks that were fixed to the
tops of the spears, both on the right and left hand.
Next they rode in the same manner out between the other two, and filled
the marks with their arrows.
Just so with the same speed they ran through the rest, and shot their
arrows so artfully, that not one of them missed his aim.
After these young men had performed their parts, and had left none of
the marks untouched, every one took his little spear that hung behind
his back (as if they minded to act, not at a distance, but hand to
hand), and retired a little out of the way, till the rest of the youth
had performed as they had done. After which all of them, in the same
order as they began, marched through the same way they had ridden, but
now at a slow pace, with their standards before them, as in triumph,
till they came to the place from which they had set out, and after they
had prepared themselves for another kind of exercise, came out again in
a little time.
Some of them, while their horses were running with loose reins, rode up
and down, shooting their arrows at the marks before and behind, some
one, others two, and some three.
[Illustration: EQUESTRIAN EXPLOITS OF THE CIRCASSIANS.]
Others, while their horses were at their full speed, would leap off
three times, and (the horse still running) mount again, and in the
meantime be shooting their arrows, and never any of them miss his aim:
others, not sitting in their saddles, but standing up, while the horse
seemed to fly, would hit the mark exactly: others while their horses
were at their full gallop, would thrice unbend their bows, and toss them
about their heads like a whip, and again bend them, and shoot without
ever missing the mark. Some of the riders would throw themselves three
times backwards off their horses, and would vault into the saddle again,
let the horse run as fast as he would, and in the meantime let fly their
arrows and hit the mark as oft as they shot. Some would spring out of
their saddles, that were fast tied to the horses, and would untie them,
and then shoot: thrice they would tie on their saddles, and as oft
pierce the mark, the horse all the while running at his full speed.
Sitting after their usual manner, they would jump behind their saddles,
and let their heads hang down, then raise themselves up, and get into
their saddles. Thrice they would do this, and as oft let fly their
arrows without ever missing the mark. Or sitting in their saddles, they
would lay their heads backwards on their horse’s croup, and taking his
tail, hold it in their teeth, then raise themselves up, and shoot as
sure as ever they did.
Others would sit between drawn sharp pointed swords, three on either
side, and in very thin clothes, so that if they had but budged, ever so
little, to one side or the other, they must have been wounded; yet so
dextrously did they move backwards and forwards, that (as if there had
been danger on either side) they were always sure to pierce the mark.
Among all the young men who performed these exercises, there was only
one found, who, with his feet loose, could stand upon the backs of two
of the swiftest horses at their full speed, and let fly three arrows
forwards and backwards. There was another, who could sit on a horse
without a saddle or bridle, and at every mark spring up on his legs, and
hit the marks, both on his right and left hand, and then sit down again,
repeating the same at the second and third marks, and thereby
discovering an incredible agility and skilfulness at shooting. There was
a third, who was the only one among them that could, while he was
sitting on a bare-backed horse, so soon as ever he came to the marks,
lay his back close to the horse’s, then stretching his feet up in the
air, start upon his feet in a moment, and fix his arrow in the mark.
At last, when the marks were quite loaded with arrows, the master of the
youths, who was an aged, and grey haired man, taking the marks in his
hand, first held them up as high as he could, then threw them down to
the ground. Upon which his scholars showered down their lances and
arrows upon them, as if they had been putting an end to the lives of
their wounded enemies, and then went prancing up and down by way of
triumph. Among these young men there were three, who fell from their
horses; one of whom expiring as soon as he fell, lest a formal funeral
might disorder the rest, was immediately carried off and buried. The
other two being almost dead, were likewise carried off for fear of
marring the show. The rest of these horsemen, that they might put an end
to the games, taking their lances in their hands, and putting spurs to
their horses, rode up to the marks that were still remaining, and
pierced them with their points like trophies. It was a fine sight to
behold these tall young men, handsomely clothed and armed, with a
wonderful address, performing those exercises on the back of a horse at
his full speed, which others could hardly do standing on firm ground;
and which were equally strange to see, and hard to be believed.”
[Illustration]
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