americana, Cephalaria tatarica, Coloneaster pyracantha, Citrus aurantium, Diospyros ebenum, Ficus carica, Illicium anisatum, Ligustrum caucasicum, Punica granatum, Philadelphus coronarius, Pyrus salicifolia, Rhus cotinus and six species of Viburnum. Aquatic plants thrive excellently and occur in great variety. The following purely Caucasian species also grow on the coast—five species of spearwort, three of saxifrage, Aster caucasica, Dioscorea caucasica, Echinops raddeanus, Hedera colchica, Helleborus caucasica and Peucedanum caucasicum. Here too are found many of the more beautiful open-air flowering plants of a shrubby character, e.g. magnolia, azalea, camellia, begonia and paulownia. Among the cultivated trees and shrubs the most valuable economically are the vine, peach, pomegranate, fig, olive (up to 1500 ft. above sea-level), chestnut, apricot, apple, pear, plum, cherry, melon, tea (on the coast between Sukhum-Kaleh and Batum), maize (yielding the staple food of the inhabitants), wheat (up to 6000 ft.), potatoes, peas, currants, cotton, rice, colza and tobacco. Before the Russian conquest the native inhabitants of this region were Kabardians, Circassians (Adigheh) and Abkhasians, also a Circassian race. But half a million of these people being Mahommedans, and refusing to submit to the yoke of Christian Russia, emigrated into Turkish territory between 1864 and 1878, and the country where they had lived remained for the most part unoccupied until after the beginning of the 20th century. Then, however, the Russian government held out inducements to settlers, and these have been responded to by Russians, Greeks, Armenians and Rumanians, but the process of repeopling the long deserted territory is slow and difficult. The coast-line is remarkably regular, there being no deep bays and few seaports. The best accommodation that these latter afford consists of more or less open roadsteads, e.g. Novo-rossiysk, Gelenjik, Anapa, Sukhum-Kaleh, Poti and Batum. Along the coast a string of summer bathing resorts is springing up similar to those that dot the south-east coast of the Crimea. The most promising of these little seaside places are Anapa, Gelenjik and Gagry.
2. Middle Caucasus: (a) Western Half.—This sub-section, with a length of 200 m., reaches from Mount Elbruz to Kasbek and the Pass of Darial. It contains the loftiest summits of the entire range, fully a dozen exceeding Mont Blanc in altitude (see table below).
of mountaineers who have climbed them.
| Name of Peak. | Altitude in Feet. |
By whom ascended. | Date. |
| Elbruz, E. peak | 18,345 | D. W. Freshfield, A. W. Moore and C. Tucker | 1868 |
| Elbruz, W. peak | 18,465 | F. C. Grove, H. Walker and F. Gardiner | 1874 |
| ” ” | ” | H. Woolley | 1889 |
| Donguz-orun | 14,600 | G. Merzbacher and L. Purtscheller | 1890 |
| ” | ” | Donkin and H. Fox | 1888 |
| ” | ” | Helbling, Reichert and Weber | 1903 |
| Shtavler | 13,105 | Ficker, W. R. Rickmers, Scheck and Wigner | 1903 |
| Ledosht-tau | 12,580 | Schuster and Wigner | 1903 |
| Hevai | 13,055 | Schuster and Wigner | 1903 |
| Lakra-tau | 12,185 | Rolleston and Longstaff | 1903 |
| Ushba, N.E. peak | 15,400 | Cockin | 1888 |
| Ushba, S.W. peak | 15,410 | Helbling, Schulze, Reichert, Schuster and Weber | 1903 |
| Ushba, both peaks | Distel, Leuchs and Pfann | 1903 | |
| Sultran-kol-bashi | 12,495 | Grove, Walker and Gardiner | 1874 |
| Bak | 11,739 | Collier, Solly and Newmarch | 1894 |
| Gulba | 12,500 | Freshfield | 1887 |
| Salynan-bashi | 14,700 | Cockin and H. W. Holder | 1888 |
| Shikildi-tau | 14,170 | Helbling, Reichert, Schulze and Weber | 1903 |
| Bshedukh | 14,010 | Distel, Leuchs and Pfann | 1903 |
| Ullu-tau-chana | 13,800 | Rolleston and Longstaff | 1903 |
| Adyr-su-bashi | 14,335 | Holder, Cockin and Woolley | 1896 |
| Sullu-kol-bashi | 13,970 | Merzbacher and Purtscheller | 1890 |
| Tikhtengen | 15,135 | Rolleston and Longstaff | 1903 |
| Gestola | 15,940 | C. T. Dent and Donkin | 1886 |
| Tetnuld | 15,920 | Freshfield | 1887 |
| ” | ” | Merzbacher and Purtscheller | 1890 |
| Adish or Katuyn-tau | 16,295 | Holder and Woolley | 1888 |
| Janga-tau, E. peak | 16,525 | Cockin | 1888 |
| ” ” | ” | Merzbacher and Purtscheller | 1890 |
| Janga-tau, E. and W. peaks | W. peak 16,660 |
Helbling, Reichert, Schulze and Weber | 1903 |
| Shkara | 17,040 | Cockin | 1888 |
| Ailama | 14,855 | Woolley | 1889 |
| Ullu-auz | 15,350 | V. Sella | 1888 |
| Dykh-tau 1 | 17,050 | Cockin, Holder and Woolley | 1888 |
| Koshtan-tau 2 | 16,875 | Woolley | 1888 |
| Mishirghi-tau, E. peak | 16,350 | Woolley | 1889 |
| Laboda | 14,170 | Dent and Woolley | 1895 |
| Tsikhvarga, E. peak | 13,575 | V. Sella | 1890 |
| ”W. peak | 13,575 | Holder and Cockin | 1890 |
| Karagom-khokh or Burdshula | 14,295 | Holder and Cockin | 1890 |
| Adai-khokh | 15,275 | Holder and Cockin | 1890 |
| Tepli | 14,510 | V. Sella | 1896 |
| Kasbek | 16,545 | Freshfield, Moore and Tucker | 1868 |
| ” | ” | Woolley | 1889 |
| ” | ” | Merzbacher | 1890 |
| ” | ” | V. Sella | 1896 |
| Gimarai-khokh | 15,670 | Merzbacher | 1890 |
| Laila, N. peak | 13,045 | Freshfield and Powell | 1889 |
| Laila, middle peak | 13,155 | V. Sella | 1889 |
| Laila, S. peak | 13,105 | Merzbacher and Purtscheller | 1890 |
| Khamkhakhi-khokh | 14,065 | M. de Déchy | 1884 |
In addition to the peaks enumerated in the table, the following also exist between Elbruz and Kasbek all exceeding 13,000 ft. in altitude: Dong-osenghi, 14,265 ft.; Kurmychi, 13,310 ft.; Ullu-kara-tau, 14,070 ft.; Jailyk, 17,780 ft.; Sarikol-bashi, 13,965 ft.; Dumala-tau, 14,950 ft.; Sugan-tau, 14,730 ft.; Tiutiu-bashi, 14,500 ft.; Nuamkuam, 13,975 ft.; Zurungal, 13,915 ft.; Mala-tau, 14,950 ft.; Tiutiun-tau, 15,115 ft.; Khrumkol-tau, 14,653 ft.; Bubis-khokh, 14,500 ft.; Giulchi, 14,680 ft.; Doppakh, 14,240 ft.; Nakhashbita-khokh, 14,405 ft.; Shan-khokh, 14,335 ft.; Mishirghi-tau (W. peak), 16,410 ft.; Fytnargyn-tau, 13,790 ft.; Gezeh-tau, 14,140 ft.; and Kaltber, 14,460 ft.
The crest of the main range runs continuously at an altitude exceeding 10,000 ft., but even it is surpassed in elevation by the secondary range to the north, the Bokovoi Khrebet. These two ranges are connected by more than half a dozen short transverse spurs or necks, inclosing as many cirques or high cauldron glens. Besides the Bokovoi Khrebet several other short subsidiary ranges branch off from the main range at acute angles, lifting up high montane glens between them; for instance, the two ranges in Svanetia, which divide, the one the river (glen) Ingur from the river (glen) Tskhenis-Tskhali, and the other the river (glen) Tskhenis-Tskhali from the rivers (glens) Lechkhum and Racha. Down all these glens glacier streams descend, until they find an opportunity to pierce through the flanking ranges, which they do in deep and picturesque gorges, and then race down the northern slopes of the mountains to enter the Terek or the Kuban, or down the southern versant to join the Rion or the Kura. Amongst all these high glens there is a remarkable absence of lakes and waterfalls; nor are there down in the lower valleys at the foot of the mountains, as one would naturally expect in a region so extensively glaciated, any sheets of water corresponding to the Swiss lakes. In this section of the Caucasus the loftiest peaks do not
