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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1885.
Yuri Konchakovitch by the Russians and by the Hungarians. His daughter had married Daniel Kobiakovitch, perhaps Kotiakovitch), Mitislaf, Prince of Gallicia. Kotiak reported at were killed during their flight."
Kief the advance of the terrible enemy, presented The Mongols now spread over the country the Russian princes with camels, horses, buffanorth of the Caucasus. We are told they loes, and beautiful slaves, and told them the captured Terek, the capital of the Circassians, Mongols bad taken his land, and that that of and advanced as far as the Sea of Azof and the Russians would suffer the same fate. The the "Rampart of the Poloutsi" (i.e. to the dyke astonished princes asked who these strangers, forming the frontier between the Kipchaks hitherto unknown, were. Some called them and Russians) and subdued the Yasses, i.e. Taurmains, others Petchênegs, others again the Ossetes or Alans, the Abkhazians and Tartars. The more superstitious recounted Circassians, and became the masters of seven how the barbarians, defeated by Gideon 1,200 tribes near the Sea of Azof." Ibn-al-Athir years before Christ, were to reappear at the end buys the Tartars captured the cantonments (ie. of the world from their deserts, and to conquer the winter quarters) of the Kipchaks. It is a the whole earth. Mitislaf assembled the Russian country, he says, affording good pastare both princes at Kief, and there met there beside himin summer and winter, and it contains places self, Mitislaf Romanovitch of Kief, Mitislaf of where the temperature is cool in the hot season, Chernigof, Daniel Romanovitch of Volhynia, and others where it is mild in winter. The Michael) son of Vsevolod the Red, and Vsevolod shores of the sea are bordered by forests. The Mitislavich of Novgorod, and it was deterTartars advanced as far as the town of Sudak, mined unariimously to march against the 1.e. Soldaia, which belonged to the Kipchaks, invaders, much to the joy of the Poloutsi, who got their grain from it. It was a seaport, one of whose princes named Basti," embraced and the Kipchaks, we are told, went there to Christianity. They assembled their forces at bay stuffs, bartering in exchange slaves of both Zarub and the isle of the Varagians (places sexes, and fox-skins (burtasses) and those of the whose exact sites are unknown), on the beaver, &c. &c.
Dnieper." There they received ten ambassadors The Tartars occupied Sudak, whose in- from the Mongols, who spoke thus: “We habitants filed with their families, some to understand that, seduced by the statements of the mountains, while others embarked for the Poloutsi you are marching against us. Rum." Ten thousand families of these But we have done nothing against the Russians, fagitives crossed the Danube into the bor. we have not taken your towns or villages, ders of the Roman Empire, and the Emperor and our sole intention is to punish the Poloutsi, John Ducas took them into his service. A our slaves. For a long time they have been portion of these latter were cantoned in Thrace enemies of the Russians. Side with us, there. and Macedonia, where they committed great fore, and take a signal vengeance upon these ravages. Others were transported into Asia barbarians, and seize their wealth." "This Minor." The greater number fled to Russia, message was accepted," says Karamzin, "as a which at this time did not extend eastwards sign of weakness, or as a ruse." Doubtless as beyond the Oka, and did not comprise the the latter, for the recent treachery of the Ukraine. 'It was divided among a number of Mongols in the Caucasus must have been known. petty princes, owing little more than nominal At all events, the ambassadors were barbarallegiance to the Grand Duke of Novgorod, ously murdered. Others were sent which met and continually at strife with each other and the Russian army at Oleschia who said: "You with the Kipchaks, whom they called Poloutsi, have preferred the counsel of the Poloutsi, you as the Byzantine authors called them Comans. have killed our envoys, well; as you wish for One of the chiefs of the latter, who now sought war, you shall have it. We have done you no refuge in Russia, is called Kotiak by Nikon, harm. God is impartial, He will decide our Kotian by Karamzin, and Kothan or Kuthen quarret."
Karamzin, French edition, Vol. III. p. 282.
ODOVol. I. pp. 441-445, note.
* Nic. Gr. Stritter, Vol. III. p. 985-6. " Erdmann and Von Hammer call him Ratu. * Von Hammer says near Zarub.
