[For the Family Magazine.] THE KIRGHIZA COSSACKS.

AMONG the different Asiatick tribes which Russia has brought into subjection, either by force of arms or by political tact, there is no one which is more numerous, or which occupies a larger extent of country, than the tribe of the Kirghiza Cossacks. The immense uncultivated wild steppes where these people live, are bounded on the north, by the desert of Siberia, west by the sea of Aral, and partly by the Caspian sea, south by the country of the Turcomans, the Kheivars and the Boukhares, and east by the fortified frontiers of the Chinese empire.

the smaller and middle hordes belong nominally to Russia, and the great horde is partly under the dominion of the Chinese. It is also notorious that all the efforts of Russia to induce them to lead an agricultural life have been unsuccessful.

The manners and customs of all nomadian people are very similar. We always see in them the same mixture of simple barbarism, and the same energetick love of liberty, which in them frequently takes the place of civilization. The horse is the inseparable companion of the Kirghiza Cossacks. The flesh serves him for nourishment: his skin covers the tent which protects him from summer's heat The Kirghiza Cossacks are divided into three and winter's cold. One event alone has an influence hordes called the great, the middle, and the small on the life of the Cossack: death seems to interrupt horde. All these hordes, however, do not acknowl-for a moment their wandering propensities, for aledge the power of Russia. The Kirghiza Cossacks have always been passionately fond of liberty, and have been brought into subjection partly by the Russians, and partly by the Chinese, only by internal discord, or by superiority of numbers. But if there is the least prospect of obtaining their freedom, they rise under the yoke and enjoy for a time their independence, to become again subjected to their old or to new masters. Hence it is difficult to designate with certainty, the number of Cossacks under the yoke of Russia, or the degree of influence exercised over them. We caly know that most of

though they have no houses, nor cities, yet they have mausolea and cemeteries. They despise the arts of industry during life, but do homage to them at their last hours.

When a Kirghiza Cossack has breathed his last, all the females give themselves up to the extreme of despair. They groan, cry, tear their hair, beat their breasts and faces, and recite the virtues of him whose loss they mourn. This ceremony generally continues for a long time, and is frequently renewed every morning and evening for a year: the body is then represented by the trunk of a tree, upon which

The view of a cemetery of the Kirghiza Cossacks is very pleasing. Fatigued with the dull monotony of the steppes, the eye rests with pleasure on trees, pyramids, turrets, and other monuments of these cities of the dead. From one tomb the bow and arrows of the deceased are suspended; on anoth-region. VOL. I.-53

[For the Family Magazine.] ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIPTURE.

principally to the west and southwest of the convent, at three or four hours' distance. Water, too, is alIN the third chapter of Exodus, and first verse, ways found in plenty in this district; on which acmention is made of mount Horeb. This together count it is the place of refuge of all the Bedouins with mount Sinai, is represented in the cut. The when the low country is parched up." He adds, sacred locality is under the guardianship of a body "I think it very probable that this upper country or of Greek monks, who occupy an ancient convent at wilderness is exclusively the Desert of Sinai, so ofthe foot of the mountain, called the convent of St. ten mentioned in the account of the wanderings of Catherine, by whose name also the mountain sup- the Israelites. Mount St. Catherine appears to posed to be Horeb is now distinguished. The stand nearly in the centre of it." To the southwest monks state that the original church built here by of mount Sinai lies a narrow valley, which Dr. Pothe emperess Helena, the mother of Constantine, coche terms the vale of Job, or the vale of God: this was erected on the spot where the Divine presence he considers to be the vale or plain of Rephidim, was manifested to Moses, and where afterward the where the Israelites encamped when they came out present fortified convent was constructed; under the of the Desert of Sin. Here is shown the rock which direction of Justinian it was made to include the same Moses is said to have struck, when the waters gushsacred spot. In regard to Sinai the best account of ed out so miraculously and supplied the fainting Isit has been given by Burckhardt as follows: "From raelites, (Exodus xvii. 1-7,) Dr. Shaw states it to be this elevated peak, a very extensive view opened be- about six yards square: but Dr. Pocoche says it is a fore us, and the direction of the different surround- beautiful red granite stone, about seventy-five feet ing chains of mountains could be distinctly traced. long, ten wide, and about twelve feet high. It lies The upper nucleus of Sinai, composed almost en- tottering and loose near the middle of the valley, tirely of granite, forms a rocky wilderness of an ir- which is here about two hundred yards broad: and regular circular shape, intersected by many narrow it seems to have been formerly a part or cliff of valleys, and from thirty to forty miles in diameter. mount Sinai, which hangs in a variety of precipices It contains the highest mountains of the peninsula, over all this plain. There are four or five fissures whose shaggy and pointed peaks, and steep and one above the other on the face of the rock, each of shattered sides render it clearly distinguishable from which is about a foot and a half long, and a few all the rest of the country in view. It is upon this inches deep. These run along the breadth of the highest region of the peninsula that the fertile val- rock, and are not rent downward; they are inore leys are found which produce fruit-trees; they are than a foot apart, and there is a channel worn be

tween them by the gushing of the waters. Dr. to hunting and trapping, and thus spent nearly two Shaw remarks that neither art nor chance could be years.-Being discovered by the Indians, and losing concerned in the contrivance, and it never fails to one of his companions, (Strader,) Kenton was comproduce the greatest seriousness and attention in pelled to abandon his trapping-waters, and huntingthose who behold it. The Dr. was in danger of be- grounds. After divers hardships, he succeeded in ing stoned by his Arab guards for attempting to reaching the mouth of the Little Kenhawa, with his break off a corner of it. The Arabs call this rock remaining companion, where he found and attached of Meribah, the stone of Moses: it is greatly vene- himself to another exploring party. This, however, rated by the Bedouins, who put grass into the fis- was attacked by the Indians, soon after commencing sures above described, as offerings to the memory the descent of the Ohio, compelled to abandon its of Moses, in the same manner as they place grass canoes, and strike diagonally through the woods for on the tombs of their saints, because grass is to Green-briar county. Its members suffered much in them the most precious gift of nature, and that upon accomplishing this journey, from fatigue, sickness, which their existence depends. They also bring and famine; and on reaching the settlements, sephither their female camels, for they believe that by arated. making the animal crouch down before the rock, while they recite some prayers, and by putting fresh grass into the fissures of the stone, the camels will become fruitful, and yield an abundance of milk.

(From the West. Lit. Journal.)

THE LAST OF THE INDIAN FIGHTERS.

DIED, at his residence in Logan county, on the 29th April last, General SIMON KENTON, aged eightyone years, less seventeen days. The deceased is believed to have been the last survivor, of that hardy and intrepid band of pioneers, composed of Boon, Kenton, Logan, and Crawford, who took so active a part in the first exploration of the western country, during the closing quarter of the last century.

Kenton's rival of the love-affair had long since recovered from the castigation which he had given him. But of this, the young hero had not heard. He therefore did not think proper to venture home; but, instead, built a canoe on the Monongahela, and once more sought the mouth of the Great Kenhawa, where he hunted till the spring of 1774. This year he descended the Ohio as far as the mouth of Big Bone creek, and was engaged in various explorations till 1778, when he joined Daniel Boon in his expedition against the Indian town on Paint creek.-Immediately upon his return from this, he was despatched by Col. Bowman, with two companions, to make observations upon the Indian towns on the Little Miami, against which the colonel meditated an expedition. He reached the towns in safety, and Simon Kenton was a Virginian by birth, and em- made the necessary surveys without being observed igrated to the wilds of the West in the year 1771. by the Indians; and the expedition might have terHe was born, according to a manuscript which he minated much to his credit, and been very useful to dedicated to a gentleman of Kentucky, several years the settlers in Kentucky, had he not before leaving since,) in Fauquier county, on the 15th of May, the towns stolen a number of the Indians' horses. 1755, of poor parents. His early life was passed The animals were missed early in the following principally upon a farm. At the age of sixteen, morning, the trail of the marauders was discovered, having a quarrel with a rival in a love-affair, he left and pursuit instantly commenced. Kenton and his his antagonist upon the ground for dead, and made companions soon heard cries in their rear, knew that quick steps for the wilderness. In the course of a they had been discovered, and saw the necessity of few days, wandering to and fro, he arrived at a small riding for their lives. They therefore dashed through settlement on Cheat creek, one of the forks of the the woods at a furious rate, with the hue and cry Monongahela, where he called himself Butler. after them, until their course was suddenly interrupted Here, according to Mr. M'Clung, whose interesting by an impenetrable swamp. Here they from necesaccount of Kenton, in the "Sketches of Western sity paused for a few moments, and listened attenAdventure," we are following, he attached himself tively. Hearing no sounds of pursuit, they resumed to a small company headed by John Mahon and their course-and skirting the swamp for some disJacob Greathouse, which was about starting farther tance, in the vain hope of crossing it, they dashed west on an exploring expedition. He was soon in-off in a straight line for the Ohio. They continued duced, however, by a young adventurer of the name their furious speed for forty-eight hours, halting but of Yager, who had been taken by the western Indi- once or twice for a few minutes to take some reans when a child, and spent many years among freshment, and reached the Ohio in safety. The them, to detach himself from the company, and go river was high and rough, and they found it imposwith him to a land which the Indians called Kan-sible to urge the jaded horses over. Various efforts tuc-kee, and which he represented as being a perfect elysium. Accompanied by another young man, named Strader, they set off for the backwoods paradise in high spirits: Kenton not doubting that he should find a country flowing with milk and honey, where he would have little to do but to eat, drink, and be merry. Such, however, was not his luck. They continued wandering through the wilderness for some weeks, without finding the "promised land," and then retraced their steps, and successively explored the land about Salt-Lick, Little and Big Sandy, and Guyandotte. At length, being totally wearied out, they turned their attention entirely

were made, but all failed. Kenton was never remarkable for prudence; and on this occasion, his better reason seems to have deserted him entirely. By abandoning the animals, he might yet have escaped, though several hours had been lost in endeavouring to get them over. But this he could not make up his mind to do. He therefore called a council, when it was determined, as they felt satisfied they must be some twelve hours in advance of their pursuers, that they should conceal their horses in a neighbouring ravine, and themselves take stations in an adjoining wood, in the hope that by sunset, the high wind would abate, and the state of the river

be such as to permit their crossing with the booty. turned his short glimpse of sunshine into deeper At the hour waited for, however, the wind was higher darkness than ever. For three weeks he was conand the water rougher than ever. Still, as if com- stantly see-sawing between life and death; and pletely infatuated, they remained in their dangerous during the whole time, he was perfectly passive. position through the night. The next morning was No wisdom, or foresight, or exertion, could have mild, the Indians had not yet been heard in pursuit, saved him. Fortune fought his battle from first to and Kenton again attempted to urge the horses over. last, and seemed determined to permit nothing else But, recollecting the difficulties of the preceding to interfere." day, the affrighted animals could not now be induced to enter the water at all. Each of the three men therefore mounted a horse, abandoning the rest, (they had stolen quite a drove,) and started down the river with the intention of keeping the Ohio and Indiana side till they should arrrive opposite Louisville. But they were slow in making even this movement; and and they had not ridden over a hundred yards when they heard a loud halloo, proceeding apparently from the spot which they had just left. They were soon surrounded by the pursuers. One of Kenton's companions effected his escape, the other was killed. Kenton was made prisoner-" falling a victim," says Mr. M'Clung, "to his excessive love of horseflesh."

After the Indians had scalped his dead companion, and kicked and cuffed Kenton to their hearts' content, they compelled him to lie down upon his back, and stretch out his arms to their full length. They then passed a stout stick at right angles across his breast, to each extremity of which, his wrists, were fastened by thongs of buffalo-hide. Stakes were next driven into the earth near his feet, to which they were fastened in like manner. A halter was then tied round his neck, and fastened to a sapling which grew near. And finally, a strong rope was passed under his body, and wound several times round his arms and at the elbows-thus lashing them to the stick which lay across his breast, and to which his wrists were fastened, in a manner peculiarly painful. He could move neither feet, arms, nor head; and was kept in this position till the next morning. The Indians then wishing to commence their return-journey, unpinioned Kenton, and lashed him by the feet, to a wild, unbroken colt, (one of the animals he had stolen from them,) with his hands tied behind him.

He was eventually liberated from the Indians, when about to be bound to the stake for the fourth time, and burnt, by an Indian agent of the name of Drewyer, who was anxious to obtain intelligence for the British commander at Detroit, of the strength and condition of the settlements in Kentucky. He got nothing important out of Kenton; but the three weeks Football of Fortune was sent to Detroit, from which place he effected his escape in about eight. months, and returned to Kentucky. Fearless and active, he soon embarked in new enterprises; and was with George Rogers Clarke, in his celebrated expedition against Vincennes and Kaskaskin-with Edwards, in his abortive expedition to the Indian towns in 1785-and with Wayne, in his decisive campaign of 1794.

Simon Kenton, throughout the struggles of the pioneers, had the reputation of being a valuable scout, a hardy woodsman, and a brave Indian-fighter; but in reviewing his eventful career, he appears greatly to have lacked discretion, and to have evinced frequently a want of energy. In his afterlife, he was much respected; and he continued to the last, fond of regaling listeners with stories of the early times. A friend of ours, who about three years ago made a visit to the abode of the venerable patriarch, describes in the following terms, his appearance at that time: "Kenton's form, even under the weight of seventy-nine years, is striking, and must have been a model of manly strength and agility. His eye is blue, mild, and yet penetrating in its glance. The forehead projects very much at the eyebrowswhich are well-defined-and then recedes, and is neither very high nor very broad. His hair, which in active life was light, is now quite gray; his nose is straight; and his mouth before he lost his teeth must have been expressive and handsome. I obIn this manner he was driven into a captivity as served that he had yet one tooth-which, in concruel, singular, and remarkable in other respects, as nexion with his character and manner of conversaany in the whole history of Indian warfare upon this tion, was continually reminding me of Leatherstockthis continent. "A fatalist," says the author of the ing. The whole face is remarkably expressive, net Sketches of Western Adventure, "would recognise of turbulence or excitement, but rather of rumination the hand of destiny in every stage of its progress. and self-possession. Simplicity, frankness, honesty, In the infatuation with which Kenton refused to and a strict regard to truth, appeared to be the promadopt proper measures for his safety, while such inent traits of his character. In giving an answer were practicable; in the persevering obstinacy with to a question which my friend asked him, I was which he remained on the Ohio shore until flight particularly struck with his truthfulness and simplibecame useless; and afterward, in that remarkable city. The question was, whether the account of his succession of accidents, by which, without the least life, given in the Sketches of Western Adventure, exertion on his part, he was so often at one hour was true or not. 'Well, I'll tell you,' said he: 'not tantalized with a prospect of safety, and the next true. The book says, that when Black fish the Injin plunged into the deepest despair. He was eight warriour asked me, when they had taken me pristimes exposed to the gauntlet-three times tied to oner, if Colonel Boon sent me to steal their horses, the stake-and as often thought himself upon the I said 'no, sir!" Here he looked indignant, and eve of a terrible death. All the sentences passed rose from his chair. I tell you I never said 'sir!' upon him, whether of mercy or condemnation, seem to an Injin in my life; I scarcely ever say it to a to have been pronounced in one council only to be white man.' Here Mrs. Kenton, who was engaged reversed in another. Every friend that Providence in some domestick occupation at the table, turned raised up in his favour, was immediately followed round and remarked, that when they were last in by some enemy, who unexpectedly interposed, and Kentucky, some one gave her the book to read to