Bible lands : their modern customs and manners illustrative of Scripture / by the Rev. Henry J. Van-Lennep.

  • Henry John van Lennep
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Bible lands : their modern customs and manners illustrative of Scripture / by the Rev. Henry J. Van-Lennep. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/524 (page 335)
    15. The Greek race are mostly confined to the neighborhood of the sea and to the islands. They are the descendants of the ancient Greek colonies. They cling to the language and to the ideas of Western civilization. In some places they have amal- gamated with the Anatolians, but there is generally little sym- pathy between them. The race, however, is not homogeneous; the people of Tinos, Scio, and Mitylene have marked differ- ences of character, and those of Hydra, Naxos, etc., are of Al- banian origin, and do not even speak Greek. 16. The Georgians occupy a district north of the Aras, whose capital is Tiflis. They are mostly Christians, and have a language of their own. Directly north of them are, 17. The Lesghies, who, with several smaller tribes, such as.the Iron, the Kisty, and the Misjijy, occupy the eastern half of the Caucasian chain and the slopes on the north of it called Dagh- estan, or the hill region. Each of these little tribes, and others we have not mentioned, appear to be the remains of distinct nations, which here sought a refuge from annihilation ; for they all speak different languages.* 18. The Circassians occupy the western half of the Cauca- sus, with its slopes, to the Black Sea and the Kooban. They are divided into many tribes, either Muslim or heathen, and have been much reduced in numbers by incessant wars with Russia and by a large emigration into Asia Minor. They once occupied the Crimea, but were driven out by the Tartars. They have long furnished the chief supply of white slaves to the Osmanli empire. ' 19. The Laz, Mingrelians, and Gurelians are distinct tribes, inhabiting the south-east corner of the Black Sea, and speak- ing different languages. They are mostly Muslims or heathen. 20. The nomadic Turkmens, unlike the rest of their country- men, have preserved their ancestral mode of life and traditions. They wander about with their flocks and herds, and seem to be heathen who make an insincere profession of Islam. Hence, like all unorthodox sectaries, they are called Kuzul Bash (Red- heads) by the true Muslims, but enjoy all the privileges of the latter in the eye of the law. Their range in the peninsula ex- tends from Alexandretta to the western coast, and eastward * This great variety of dialects mny, however, be the cll'ect of isolatiou.