File:Mountain adventures in various parts of the world (1876) (14758124666).jpg

Identifier: mountainadventur00head (find matches)
Title: Mountain adventures in various parts of the world
Year: 1876 (1870s)
Authors: Headley, Joel Tyler, 1813-1897
Subjects: Mountaineering
Publisher: New York, Scribner, Armstrong, and co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ng we descended the northernside of the town into a plain, keeping for a consider-able way along the foot of some high, well-woodedground, after which we ascended again over a suc-cession of lands until we reached the village and postof Zergifskoy, a place situated on the slope of a con-siderable hill, conspicuous even as far as Stavrapol,from its being composed of whitish sand, which fromthat distance has the appearance of snow. Here twoCossacks were given me for an escort; but how dif-ferent were they, both in person and costume, frommy friends of the Don! Their stature was low, theirvisages rugged, and their garb of the wildest andmost savage fashion. These people belong to thefoot of the Caucasus; and, as I proceeded further,I found most of the inhabitants habited in a similarmanner. A small cloth cap, bound with sheepskin orfur, fits almost close to their head; while a shortvest covers their body, and, falling as far as the knee,meets a pair of loose trousers, which, stuffed into
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MOUNT ELBUEZ. 213 boots, completes the uncouth but picturesque habili-ment. Their arms are a musket slung across theshoulder, protected from the damp by a hairy case ;a straight sword fastened to the left side by the beltround their waist; a dagger of great breadth, andalso a large knife, pendent from the same. On theright and left of their breast is sewn a range of nar-row pockets, each large enough to hold a wooden casecontaining a charge of powder; the range usuallycounts six or eight of these charges. Independentof this magazine, few go without a light cartouche-box attached to another belt which covers the rightshoulder. Their saddle and the rest of their horseaccoutrements differ little from the fashion of mostother Cossacks. But both man and horse are, insome measure, protected by their bouka & sort ofcloak made of the hair of the mountain-goat, andonly manufactured by the mountainers. This formsan excellent defence against rain or wind, whenbrought round the body, but in m

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