CHAP. XII. of the word Tanais. word is spoken, and always found it to be Danaetz, although frequently pronounced, as if a T was before the D, Tdanaetz, Etymology or Tanaets. But this is the name, or nearly so, given by the antient Greeks to the Don, Tanais; the reason of which I shall now proceed to explain, and shew, that, in the first instance, when the word Tanaïs was introduced into their language, it had reference to another river, and not to the Don. The subject is very curious; but it will require a better knowledge of the geography of the country, and better documents concerning the course of the rivers, than any map yet published can afford. I shall therefore accompany my observations by a Map, faithfully copied for that purpose, from the latest surveys deposited in the chancery at Tscherchaskoy. Had it not been for the jealousy of the Russian police, I should have laid before the Public another and more extensive view of the whole territory of the Don Cossacks; calculated to shew the ignorance which prevails, concerning the courses of the rivers, and the general geography of all the country bordering on the Sea of Azof. It was finished for me, in consequence of an order of the Governor of the district, by a party of officers belonging to the Cossack army; but some agents of the police, being apprized of the circumstance, endeavoured to excite suspicion that we were spies, and I was not permitted to profit by the intended liberality. In the first place, then, I must request the Reader, before he examines that Map, to suppose himself entering the mouth of the Don, and proceeding up the river, to the distance of about ninety-nine miles from its embouchure, and rather more than forty (1) One hundred and forty versts. CHAP. XII. forty-six1 above the town of Tscherchaskoy. Here he would find the Danuetz, falling into the Don by two mouths, separated from each other by a distance of ten or twelve miles. But the people have, for time immemorial, entertained a notion that it leaves the Don again, before it reaches the sea, and, taking a north-westerly direction, falls into the Palus Mæotis, to the north of all the other mouths of the Don, of which it is, in fact, one. This northernmost mouth of the Don, (which he will find represented in the annexed Map',) on account of the river, whose waters its channel is supposed peculiarly to contain, is called Danaetz, and, to express either its sluggish current or its exit into the sea, Dead Danaetz. The Greeks, steering from the Crimea towards the mouths of the Don, and, as their custom was, keeping close to the shore 3, entered first this northernmost mouth of the river. It bore then, as it does now, the name of Danaetz, Tdanaetz, or Tanaets; it matters not which; for it requires neither ingenuity to prove, nor credulity to admit, that from either of these appellations the word Tanaïs would be derived*. Even at the present day, the analogy between the words is so striking, that, in hearing Tartars and Cossacks name this branch of the Don, particularly if uttered with quickness and volubility, it seemed as often pronounced Tanaïs as Tanaetz. To distinguish this branch of the Don from the Danaetz, properly so called, they add to - each an epithet; the latter being called the Northern; and the former the Dead Danaetz. We (1) Seventy versts. (2) See Fig. 23. in the Map of the Mouths of the Don. (3) It is still a mode of navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azof. (4) The change from D into T, and vice versa, is one of the most common modifications to which language is exposed. Calmucks. We traversed continued steppes, from Kamenskaia. Camps CHAP. XII. of Calmucks were often stationed near the road. We paid Camps of visits to several of them; but obtained little information worth adding to what I have before stated of this people. In one of them, containing not more than four tents, we found only women, who were busy in distilling brandy from milk. The men were all absent, and perhaps upon some predatory excursion. The women confirmed what we had been before told concerning the material used for distilling; and said, that, having made butter, they were distilling the butter-milk for brandy. We could not credit that brandy might be so obtained; but to prove it, they tapped the still, as upon a former occasion, offering us a tuft of camel's hair soaked in brandy, that we might taste and be convinced. During the latter part of this day's journey, we observed great numbers of dromedaries, grazing. We halted for horses at Dubovskaia. Immense caravans were passing towards the Ukraine. The very sight of their burden is sufficient to prove of what prodigious importance it would be to increase the cultivation of the steppes, where Nature only asks to be invited, in order to pour forth her choicest treasures. We observed trains of from sixty to a hundred waggons, laden entirely with dried fish, to feed the inhabitants of the south of Russia, who might be supplied with better food from the land than from the rivers of the Cossacks. We went on to Grivinskaia, and there passed the night; having travelled sixty-eight miles this day, notwithstanding the (5) One hundred and two versts. CHAP. XII. the delays which curiosity had occasioned. On the morning of June the nineteenth, we came to Tschestibaloshnia, meeting frequent parties of Calmucks; and through Tuslovskaia, to the town of Oxai, upon the Don; a settlement belonging to the Cossacks of Tscherchaskoy. As we drew nearer to the river, the steppes were entirely alive with swarms of the beautiful little quadruped before described under the name of Suslic, some of which were entirely white. Approaching Oxai, numerous camps of Calmucks appeared in every direction, over all the country round the town. Some of their tents were pitched close to the place. Others, more distant, covered the lofty eminences above the Don. CAPITAL OF THE DON COSSACKS. Arrival at Oxai-Public Entry-Reception by the Don CossacksPopulation of their Territory - View of the Don-Celebration of a Court Festival-Mode of Fasting-Analogy between the Don and the Nile-Natural Curiosities and Antiquities-Fishes-Extraordinary Appearance of Tscherchaskoy - Inhabitants and Public Buildings - Origin of the Cossacks - Causes of their Increase Emigrations-Foundation of their Capital -Circassians — Commerce of Tscherchaskoy - Polished Manners of the People Remarkable Wager-Survey of the Town-Houses moved entireDiseases of the People-Greek Impostor-Departure from Tscherchaskoy. CHAP. XIII. Arrival at THE Postmaster of Tuslovskaia met us as we drew near to |