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222 THE EXPLORATION OF THE CAUCASUS a hasty glance shows that the first four tongues have many words in common, while the Abkhasian seems to stand absolutely apart from all of them.' The problem that has been discussed is : Are the Suanetians— so far as they are not merely a mixture of refugees who have found shelter at diflPerent times in this mountain Alsatia— of the Georgian stock, or do they belong to some primitive Kolkhian race ? The first view is taken by Eadde and Kovalevsky, the second by De Bernoville, w^hom M. Chant re copies in the short notice contained in his encj'cloptedic and splendidly illustrated work. The linguistic argument seems to me in favour of the former view. In this strange and interesting political and social condition, Suanetia appears to have remained for more than a century. Off the world's highways and out of the world's contests, the mountain communities went on turning, like the earthen pot, round and round in their own rock-girt pool, until they were swept at last into the stream of the nations. Meantime the Free Suane- tians were free and independent to their hearts' content. They were as lawless as the Cyclopes of the Odysseij. They knew no restraint to their passions. No man could call either his wife or his house his own except in so far as he could defend them by force. The right of murder was the foundation of society. Such a state of things was too ideal to last in this prosaic, order-loving age. In 1833 Russia assumed suzerainty over the district, and as years went on her suzerainty became more than nominal. Shortly after the Crimean War a Russian force penetrated, 1 M. Chantre prints a very poetical legend purporting to account for the absence of anv written form of tlie Circassian dialect. A learned Adighe or Circassian, an Arabic scholar, sat down to endeavour to make an alphabetical representation of his native tongue. He had not proceeded far when his labours were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a venerable figure. The stranger addressed him to this etlect : 'Give up your hopeless task. Can you put into human writing the rolling of the thunder among the peaks, the crash of the falling avalanche, the deep roar of the mountain-torrents, the blast of the waterfalls ? Can you represent the sounds of the stones as they clatter down the gorges, of the branches of the forest as they moan in the tempest, the screams and songs of the birds as they call to one another from height to height ? How then can you hope to imprison in letters the free speech of the tribes of Cireassia ? '
SUANETIA 223 for the first time, the mountain-barriers. The exjaedition produced no jiermanent political result. In 1857 the Kussian Government was brought face to face in a very dramatic manner with the difficulties every civilised government in turn meets with when, from reasons of high policy, it tolerates disorder within its frontiers. The first breakdown in the system of non-intervention was brought about by the violence of a certain Constantine Dadish Kilian, one of the feudal princes of the lower valley. This ruffian, who had already in a private vendetta slain one of his uncles .and wounded his cousin, was known to be fomenting trouble. Sent for to Kutais hy the Governor and ordered to live elsewhere than among his vassals, he did to his ruler as he had done among his own ]-ieople. He stabbed that official and three others. The Dadish Kilian met with the usual fate of murderers ; and as a result of his crime a Russian force was sent into the valley, the culprit's castle was razed to the ground, and a garrison of ten men placed in his village. The Independent Communities were, however, still left alone. This was the state of affiiirs at the time of my first visit. In the upper hamlets Russian orders did not run, and the Government was openly defied. Private wars still raged, individual against individual, femily against family, liamlet against hamlet, community against community. The first travellers to visit Suanetia were two Russian officials. General Bartholomai and Herr Bakradze. They Avrote pamjjhlets, describing chiefly the ecclesiastical treasures and inscriptions exist- ing in the district. Herr Abich and Dr. Radde, the well-known botanist, and curator of the Tiflis Museum, visited the valley in 1864 and 1866. Two years later Dr. Radde was followed by the first party of English travellers, who owed much to their predecessor's book and friendly advice. In the following year (1869) Count Levashoff, then Governor of ^lingrelia, assembled an armed force and marched with some pomp over the Latpari. M. de Bernoville, a Frenchman, who was allowed to take part in the expedition, has given a detailed account of its progress. The Suanetians met the Russian force in arms
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SUANETIA 223<br />
for the first time, the mountain-barriers. The exjaedition produced<br />
no jiermanent political result.<br />
In 1857 the Kussian Government was brought face to face<br />
in a very dramatic manner with the difficulties every civilised<br />
government in turn meets with when, from reasons of high policy,<br />
it tolerates disorder within its frontiers. The first breakdown in<br />
the system of non-intervention was brought about by the violence<br />
of a certain Constantine Dadish Kilian, one of the feudal princes<br />
of the lower valley. This ruffian, who had already in a private<br />
vendetta slain one of his uncles .and wounded his cousin,<br />
was known to be fomenting trouble. Sent for to Kutais hy<br />
the Governor and ordered to live elsewhere than among his<br />
vassals, he did to his ruler as he had done among his own<br />
]-ieople. He stabbed that official and three others. The Dadish<br />
Kilian met with the usual fate of murderers ; and as a result<br />
of his crime a Russian force was sent into the valley, the<br />
culprit's castle was razed to the ground, and a garrison of ten<br />
men placed in his<br />
village. The Independent Communities were,<br />
however, still left alone. This was the state of affiiirs at the<br />
time of my first visit. In the upper hamlets Russian orders<br />
did not run, and the Government was openly defied. Private wars<br />
still raged, individual against individual, femily against family,<br />
liamlet against hamlet, community against community.<br />
The first travellers to visit Suanetia were two Russian officials.<br />
General Bartholomai and Herr Bakradze. They Avrote pamjjhlets,<br />
describing chiefly the ecclesiastical treasures and inscriptions exist-<br />
ing in the district. Herr Abich and Dr. Radde, the well-known<br />
botanist, and curator of the Tiflis Museum, visited the valley in<br />
1864 and 1866. Two years later Dr. Radde was followed by<br />
the first party of English travellers, who owed much to their<br />
predecessor's book and friendly advice.<br />
In the following year (1869) Count Levashoff, then Governor<br />
of ^lingrelia, assembled an armed force and marched with some<br />
pomp over the Latpari. M. de Bernoville, a Frenchman, who was<br />
allowed to take part in the expedition, has given a detailed account<br />
of its progress. The Suanetians met the Russian force in arms