wait upon the guests, and share in the good fare on the little tables.

When a Circassian takes a Russian prisoner, he makes him a slave, and
gives him the hardest work to do. Yet the Russians are much happier with
their Circassian masters than in their own country.

Once a Circassian said to his Russian slave, "I am going to send you back
to Russia." The man fell at his master's feet, saying, "Rather than do
so, use me as your dog; beat me, tie me up, and give me your bones to
pick." The master then told him that he had not spoken in earnest, and
that he would not send him away, and then the poor fellow began to shout,
and to jump with joy.

BROTHERHOODS.--There is a very remarkable plan in Circassia, unlike the
plans in other countries. A certain number of men agree to call
themselves "brothers." These brothers help each other on every occasion,
and visit at each other's houses frequently. They are not received in the
guest-house, but in the family-house, and are treated by all the family
as if they were really the brothers of the master.

A brotherhood sometimes consists of two thousand, but sometimes of only
twenty persons.

RELIGION.--Circassia, though beautiful, is an unhappy country. The
Russians keep the people in continual fear; this is a great evil. But
there is another nation who have done the Circassians still greater harm.
I mean the Turks. And what have they done to them? They have persuaded
them to turn Mahomedans. The greatest harm that can be done to any one,
is to give him a false religion. There are no grand mosques in Circassia,
because there are no towns: but in every little village there is a clay