Part 8

But to return after this digression to the origin of the Abáza; it is related by authentic histories that in the year 25 of the Hejíra, in the Calífat of Omár, there was an Arab called Basha Melek who then ruled Yathreb, Batha, Aden and Saba, and had five sons; the first was called Jebel-ul-himmet; the second Arab; the third Kisú who had three sons named Kais, Meválí, and Taí; the fourth Lazkí; and the fifth Abází. After the father’s death, the principality of the tribe devolved on the eldest son Jebel-ul-himmet, who, having by accident, knocked out the eye of an Arab was sentenced by Omar to lose one of his own. Jebel-ul-himmet on the same night took with him his four brethren, and sought refuge at Antiochia, with the Emperor Heraclius, who gave him the mountains of Syrian Tripolis. He there built the town of Jebellieh which still bears that name. Having undertaken some predatory excursions from thence towards Damascus and Medina, Kháled Ben Welíd and Eswed Ben Mokdád overpowering him with their forces, obliged him to fly. He embarked and went to Albania, where he took up his residence in the mountains of Avlonia, the inhabitants of which are now called the Koreishite Albanians: their songs have Arabic tunes, and they derive their origin from Jebel-ul-himmet, who is buried near Ilbessán. His descendants became apostates, and dwell in the mountains of Dúkat (Ducato) between Avlonia and Delonia. They are of a tawny colour like the Arabs, and hairy. So far of Jebel-ul-himmet. His brother Arab, and his three nephews Kais, Taí, and Meválí were carried by Kháled Ben Welid prisoners to Hedjáz, where Kais and Taí became masters of the tribes that bear their names. Arab their uncle became master of Ommán, their father Kisú and his two brethren Lazkí and Abází fled from Kháled Ben Welid, first came to Konia and then to Constantinople, where having heard, that Moavia the son of Ebí Sofián was approaching Constantinople, he sought shelter at Trebisonde. Here the banks of the river Júrúgh within the castle of Konia was assigned to the Lazkis (Lezgís) who are also of Arabic descent. To the brother Kisú was assigned the Circassian mountains, who, therefore, as well as the Lezgís boast of being Koreishites. Abazí got the country which actually bears his name, and thus the Circassians, Lezgís, Abáza, Albanians, the Arabic tribes of Taí, and Kais are all branches of the Koreish family. So God populated the earth, God does what he likes, and commands what he pleases! The principal tribe in Abáza are the Chách, who speak Mingrelian, which is spoken on the opposite shore of the Phasus; they are warlike men, in number about ten thousand, who follow more than one religion, and are an unruly set of people. Their mountains are very fruitful, particularly in nuts, hazel-nuts, and apricots; they bear the same arms as the Arabs, arrows, bows and lances, have few horsemen, but valorous footmen. Their harbour Lákia lies two journies to the west, three hundred miles from Trebisonde, but, on account of the heavy southerly and easterly gales, no ship can pass the winter there. Further to the west on the seashore is the village Khafál the frontier of the tribe Arlán, consisting of ten thousand warlike men; their harbour is called Láchigha; we remained here a night; it is a pleasant harbour both in winter and summer. We travelled two journies further to the west to the frontier of the tribe Chánda, fifteen hundred valiant men, true Abázas, they are called the mountain Chándas, and their harbour Kakúr. The village Kháke, near it, surrounded with gardens, faces the sea. Three journies beyond, by the seashore, are the great Chándas, twenty-five villages, fifteen thousand men; their harbour is called Chándalar, but it gives no shelter in winter. Behind these mountains is the land of the Mamshúkh Circassians. From the Chándas we marched a day’s journey towards the west, by the seacoast, and came to the tribe Kechilar; their country is like a paradise; it consists of seventy-five villages which furnish two thousand marksmen; its waters are pleasant. The great river Pessú flows from the Caucasus, and goes into the Black Sea; it is a fresh stream, which affords no ferry in summer, but is a safe shelter for ships in winter. Both shores are laid out in gardens by the people of Kechilar, who may bring ten thousand men into the field, the greater part horsemen. They are a very rich and rapacious people. We remained guests in the village Háka in the house of an Abáza, called Zeperaha, the janissaries our companions made an entertainment of ten sheep, on which we feasted, and then proceeded two journies westward to the tribe of Árt, who are more numerous than the Kechilar, but they are neither so brave nor so rapacious, most of them are merchants trading in fur. They feed a great number of swine. They know neither religious book nor sect, but keep their word; their number amounts to thirty thousand. Their Beg accompanied by from forty to fifty armed Abáza brought us twenty sheep and three roes, as a present to welcome us; he wore a coat called Kilchaklí-gebe-chekmání, carried a bow and arrows in his hand, and wore a sword; he was a stout young fellow. All his servants wore long hair like himself. The landing-place of this tribe is called Ártlar; we passed a night there as guests; it is an open place, ships therefore cannot lie there in the winter. Another landing-place is called Liúsh, where ships lie for six months.

To the north, in the midst of mountains, is Sadsha, the land belonging to Sídí Ahmed Páshá; the inhabitants speak well the language of both the Abáza and the Circassians; to the latter their country adjoins, they are seven thousand brave stout men. The Abáza and Circassians are continually on their guard, but keep up good intelligence by trading together to the landing-place at Árt with slaves and wax. The Circassians (Takakú) also come in ships, and trade in safety. We went three stations further to the west, along the sea-coast, through a woody tract, with high mountains, between which are many cultivated villages, to the tribe of Kámish, ten thousand brave men; they defeated the tribe of A’rt many times, and took their Begs prisoners, because these Abázas steal each other’s children, and a man who does not steal and plunder is thought to be bad company, so that they give him not their daughters in marriage. In these mountains of Kámish swine are fed to the size of asses; the landing-place is not much frequented on account of the riotous character of the people. Among these people of Kámish the children of the Abáza are sent from Constantinople and Cairo; they have a Mesjíd, the air is pleasant, the villages all face the Kiblah and the south. The market is held at the landing-place. Three stations further to the west we came to the tribe of Sújalar, ten thousand brave men; the ground being very rocky there are few houses. There is a landing place, but I do not know its name. We remained as guests one night in the village of Hádeka. As there happened to be a wedding, they feasted us with a great many dishes, fine girls and boys waited on us, and the next day the Aghá of Konia, our companion, gave to the master of the house a turban, which was valued as much as though it had been a crown, because having neither market, nor khán, nor bath, nor church, they know nothing of cultivated manners. Their villages of from forty to fifty houses are situated in the mountains. Ships of all countries bring powder, lead, muskets, arrows, bows, swords, shields, lances and other weapons, old shoes, borders of cloth, linen, bogassin, kettles, hooks, salt, soap and similar articles, and take in exchange, without using money, slaves, butter, wax and honey. From the Súchas we went further on two stations to the west, along the seashore, to the tribe of Dembe, who furnish two thousand armed men. We remained three days at their landing-place and exchanged our old cloth for slave girls and boys. I myself bought an Abáza boy. The fourth day we marched two journies to the west to the tribe of Bozdúk, the Beg of which commands seven thousand men. We found at their landing-place ten ships from Constantinople and many of our friends, the meeting with whom was a great treat to us. Mengelí-geraí Khán led three thousand men of the Bozdúk to the war of Astrachan, which being ended he gave them a Yúrd (Camp) in the Circassian mountains of Obúr where they remained. They are a brave people speaking the Abáza and Circassian language. The Bozdúk of Abáza and Circassia are separated by Mount Obúr; the distance between them is three stations. They mutually steal each others children and sell them. Two journies further along the seacoast is the old ruined castle of Osowísh, where we passed a night as guests. The inhabitants make bows and arrows; the Beg has three thousand men in his service, who carry muskets; the landing-place of the castle is called Gírmen Sowísh. Bears, swine, foxes, jackals, and woodcocks are found in great numbers in the mountains. These Abáza people have a strange mode of burying their Begs; they put the body into a wooden coffin, which they nail on to the branches of some high tree and make a hole in the coffin near the head, that the Beg, as they say, may look up to Heaven: bees enter the coffin and make honey, entirely wrapping the body up in it; when the season comes they open the coffin, take the honey and sell it, much caution, therefore, is required to be used in purchasing the honey of the Abázas. We here bought some more slave boys, and went two journies towards the west to the tribe of Ashagalí, whose Begs can bring two thousand brave men into the field, but they are all thieves, and dreaded by the Abázas themselves. There is also a ruined castle here, the landing-place of which is called Ashagalí, much frequented by the ships of Kaffa and Tamán, but they cannot remain here in the winter. One journey further to the west, is the village of A’atima belonging to the Ashaghlís; there are amongst them many Mussulmáns of the Abáza of Top-khánah. From hence Circassia is distant but a day’s journey. Two journies further is the tribe of Súksú, their Begs command three thousand armed men; they have horses of high breeding. The landing-place is Hárdena. The river called Súk has no ferry, it issues from the mountains of Circassia and flows into the Black Sea; there are some wealthy persons amongst them. Two journies further on is the tribe of Kútassí, whose Begs command seven thousand armed men. They have magazines covered with mats. In the port a great number of ships from Kaffa and Tamán are found. We met some acquaintances here from the Crimea, the horsemen of which country are in continual intercourse with Circassia. On account of the facility of communication the people are wealthy; they also sow corn, the rest of the Abáza sow millet, which multiplies a hundred fold. The houses of the Kútassí are covered with reed; a cluster of ten houses is called a Kabák, the four sides are circumvallated like a castle, and their dogs watch like lions around it, they are obliged to do so, as all their dwellings are in the woods, and each village is afraid of the other. The Kútassí are bounded by the Shána Circassians; they are only separated by a mountain, which is a day’s journey across; they speak the Circassian language. Thus the country of the Abázas extends from the Phasus along the seacoast forty days journey in length, and in breadth from five days journey down to one, as is the case in the distance between the Kútassí Abáza and the Shána Circassians. These forty days journey are marked by forty large rivers, which issue from the mountains situated between the Abáza and Circassians, and run into the Black Sea. Altogether seventy high mountains, with two thousand villages, of which I know nothing, as I did not visit them. Within this country are some hundred thousand men, without law or religion, who, however, if you call them infidels will kill you, and if you call them Moslims are delighted, but if they become real Moslims, they are very good ones. They are a wild roving people descending from the Arabs, Koreishites, from Abáza.

The tribes of Abáza in the mountains are the Posúkhí, seven thousand turbulent men; Akhchissí, ten thousand men; Besleb, seven thousand five hundred brave people; Mukellebeh, thirty thousand men; Waipígha, one thousand men; Jághras, eight hundred weak men; Ala Koreish, five hundred men; Chíchakores, three thousand men; Mácha, two thousand men; and Páncháresh, four thousand men; these ten turbulent tribes never mix with the Abázas of the coast. The bravest and best of them are the Sadasha. On the coast and in the mountains there are altogether twenty-five tribes.

_Specimen of the Abáza Language._

One, _if_; two, _weba_; three, _ikhba_; four, _beshna_; five, _khoba_; six, _fiba_; seven, _bezba_; eight, _aba_; nine, _sheba_; ten, _zoba_; eleven, _akzoba_; twelve, _webazoba_. Come, _wai_; go, _úchi_; seat, _otúi_; get up, _okil_; don’t go, _omchin_; boy, _arísh_; I go, _sicháb_; wife, _abharesh_; I don’t go, _sikiján_; why, _úzú_.

_Specimen of the Sadasha Abáza._

One, _weh_; two, _toka_; three, _sitte_; four, _pali_; five, _ashú_; six, _korn_; seven, _ipli_; eight, _ogha_; nine, _ipfi_; ten, _zú_; eleven, _wehzú_; twelve, _tokazú_. Bread, _sakha_; meat, _gha_; water, _beri_; cheese, _feh_; curd, _chehwáh_; pear, _kha_; raisin, _mosú_; figs, _lakhmak_; chesnuts, _akshú_; salt, _laka_; seat, _otúz_; get up, _odeto_; don’t go, _omke_; I go, _síkú_; where do you go, _síoken_; I am busy, I go, _súwú_ _shakagh síkú_; bring a girl, _zinje doko_; I found no girl, but a boy, _zinje dokalmet zeni okhad_, &c.

There are many other languages and dialects besides, but I have quoted only some words which I acquired in the course of trading; I have written them as I could, but there is a great difference between the speaking and writing, the pronunciation being extremely difficult, like the chirping of birds. A great deal of judgment and sagacity is required to converse with them, but a traveller who knows something of the world, and of God, and desires to travel quietly, must have a sufficient idea of every language to understand whether good or evil is intended to him, whether they are going to offer him bread or a box of the ear; the proverb says, “Men speak according to their intellect, and, therefore, it is very prudent to learn some languages for the use of the world;” such a man easily makes his way through strange countries, and returns safely into port.

We left the harbour of the Kútassí, and at the end of two days journey along the seacoast, reached the castle of Anapa. It is said that Alexander the Great, when commanded by God to build the wall of Gog and Magog, arrived at this place, he was so much pleased with its air and situation, that he built here a pentagon castle of immense stones (Shedádí, Cyclopean); the room of the diván was paved with rubies, emeralds, turquoises and cornelians, and for that reason was called the Castle Kevherpaí Anapaí. It afterwards fell into the hands of the Genoese, and when Timúr laid waste the towns of Dadián, Heshdek, and other towns amounting altogether to the number of seven hundred, in his expedition against Tokhatmish the Lord of Crimea, he also wasted the suburbs of the castle of Anapa, but the castle itself was spared. In the reign of Sultán Bayazíd II., the great Vezír Gedek Ahmed Páshá, leading the expedition against Kaffa, took this castle also from the Genoese, and put troops into it. It is situated at the extremity of the Cape which divides the territory of the Abáza from Circassia, on a clay cliff; it is a strong castle without a garrison, and has been several times ransacked by the Cossacks of the Tanais. Outside of the castle are one hundred and fifty houses built of reed; this village is called Kabák. North of the castle are the mountains of Anapa. The ships which go to Assov sail past these mountains, which extend as far as the Cossacks of Assov. The castle of Anapa is well built, and in such good preservation, that it appears as if it had just come out of the hands of the builder. Sheep and goats are kept inside during the winter. According to the description of Demir-oghlí Osmán Páshá, Anapa is the seat of a Voivode of the sanjak of Tamán in the province of Caffa. The people of Shefákí, which is the name of the inhabitants, only pay their tithes at the point of the halberd, and are three hundred rebellious subjects. This castle has a large port where a thousand ships tied together with one rope may ride in safety. It is a large harbour, sheltered against the wind from all quarters. There is no port like it in the Black Sea; a kind of pearl was formerly fished for here; the shells still lie on the shore; another reason why the castle is called Kevhergán (jewel-mine). The Russians anchor here every year, without the least apprehension, and fish for pearls. If this castle was put into good condition, with a sufficient garrison and ammunition, it would be easy to keep all Abáza and Circassia in complete obedience. The Noghais also bring merchandise to this port in complete security.

While I, poor Evliyá, was remaining at Anapa with the Yenicherí-agassí of Konia, the Imperial fleet made its appearance in the Black Sea, and came to anchor at noon in the port of Anapa. They stayed three days, during which time all the small craft which had been left behind arrived, and took in water. I and the Aghá of Konia waited on the Kaima-kám of the Aghá of the Janissaries with some presents. I then waited on the Lord High Admiral Delí Hossein Páshá, who assigned me a tent and rations, made me his Múezzin and gave me a passage on board the galley of his Kiaya Welí. On the following day the 12th Sha’bán, 1053, the Imperial flag was hoisted, and at noon, the gun for departure being fired, we left Anapa and made sail for Assov.

Sultán Murad IV. had planned a great expedition against the Maltese, who alone remained to be subdued after the conquest of Baghdád, when he was removed by death; amongst the fleet fitted out for the purpose there were two immense large ships, called Kara Maona, of three hundred guns. After his death the Infidels everywhere raised their heads against the Ottoman Empire, and the Khán of the Crimea reported to Kara Mustafa Páshá, the great Vezír of Sultán Ibrahím, that the Russians had overran and plundered the districts of Crimea and Assov. At last one hundred thousand Cossacks took the fortress of Assov after a siege of forty days. Eighty thousand Cossacks remained in possession of it, and one hundred and fifty boats, manned by the rest, infested all the shores of the Black sea. This news having spread to Constantinople, Imperial rescripts were sent throughout the whole of Rúmelí. Kojá Gurjí Canaan Páshá, the governor of Ozakov, and the Governor of Rúmelí with twenty-eight sanjak Begs, forty thousand Tátárs of Búják, and forty thousand infidels of Moldavia and Valachia, and twenty thousand Transylvanians, surrounded the fortress of Assov on the land side. On the seaside came the Imperial fleet of one hundred and fifty galleys, as many frigates, two hundred shaikas and karamursal, altogether four hundred ships having forty thousand men on board, which had weighed anchor in the port of Anapa, passed the mouth of the river Kúbán, and the castle of Tamán; on our left hand was the Crimea with the point of Kilissejík, and opposite on the right, the point Chúcka on the peninsula of Tamán. These two points are but a mile distant, and the inside of this strait is called the sea of Assov. We entered it with a favourable wind, and came to an anchor in the port of Bálisíra. Here all the ammunition and provisions were embarked in small boats, called sandal, sacoleva, sarbúna, and túnbáza; and carried thirty miles further on to the castle of Assov, because galleys and chaiks drawing five feet water cannot be used here, as the water is but from two to three feet in depth. Bálisíra is on the western extremity of the steppes (Heihát Sahrassí) a lonely place; but the army and fleet having arrived, many thousand houses for men and wares were built, and it had the air of a large town, being the harbour of Assov. There arrived here from Circassia, which belongs to the Governorship of Caffa, of the tribes of Shagák, Shána, Meshúkh, Takafer, Bozúdúk, Pultakaí, Khatukaí, Kabartaí, and of the troops of Shám-khál Sultán the Lord of Taghistán forty thousand men, excellent troops, with seven thousand waggons, which served to transport a part of the munitions and provisions to Assov. The troops entered the trenches on the 21st of Sha’abán, and the 25th of the same month arrived from Anatolí seven Vezírs, eighteen Begler-Begs, seventy Sanjaks, and two hundred Alaï Begs with all the Zaims and Timariots, who with their men (Jebellí) were forty-seven thousand men. The Tátár Khán was ordered to keep the look-out, and he surrounded the camp with his army of Noghaí, Kechin-noghaí, Shedák-noghaí, Urúmpit-noghaí, Shirínlí, Manssúrlí, Sebhúnlí, Mankitlí, Nakshi-vánlí, Chekeshke, Irbátlí, Úlí, Olánlí, Badrákli, Arslán Beg Ilí, Chobán Ilí, Deví Ilí, Nevrúz Ilí, all Tátárs.