GEORGIA, or GRUSIA. This extensive tract of country, which is situated between the Black and the Caspian Seas, now forms a province of Russia by the encroachments of that power on the side of Persia. It is diversified by great inequalities of surface; but contains many fertile and beautiful valleys, which are finely contrasted with the mountainous character of the regions of Caucasus. The hills are clothed with the finest woods, consisting of oak, ash, chestnut, beech, and elm. Some vines grow perfectly wild, producing the finest grapes; and the wines produced have always, according to the report of Sir R. K. Porter, been esteemed for softness, lightness, and delicacy of taste. The valleys are extremely fertile, producing cotton, as well as the finest European fruit trees, and abundance of hemp, flax, rice, millet, barley, and wheat. The country is copiously watered by the rivers which flow from the mountains, and produce great variety of delicious fish. Pheasants, wild fowl of every kind, antelopes, deer, sheep, with all sorts of domestic cattle, are found in the valleys. In the mountains are found mines of gold, silver, and other minerals. The habits of the people are such as might be expected in their low state of civilization. A struggle for independence was long maintained by the Georgians against the inroads of Persia. But it was at last reduced into a province of that vast monarchy, and it was afterwards the arena of the Persian and Russian wars, by which the country was ravaged; and the people, far from being naturally industrious, appeared to despise every pursuit which required labour. They neglected agriculture, and were often engaged in intestine wars, or in forays on their neighbours for the sake of plunder; and were frequently exposed, in consequence, to severe retaliation from the Lesghees, a barbarous tribe, subsisting, like most of the mountain tribes of Asia, by pillage. But about the year 1800 it was reduced into a province of the Russian empire; and, under the iron rule of that despotic power, order has been re-established, the traveller has been protected from robbery, commerce and agriculture begin to be followed, and a favourable revolution appears to have taken place in the habits and manners of the people. Sir R. K. Porter, who has given an interesting account of these newly-conquered provinces, mentions that the different European governors have generally endeavoured to conciliate the people and the nobles, and that the country has been now effectually guarded from the destructive inroads of plun-
dering banditti or foreign enemies, the nobles begin to feel the importance of the station they hold in the country; whilst they have been still further countenanced by the distribution of medals and orders of distinction amongst the leading men, with titles also and commissions of military rank in the Russian armies. The Georgians are tall and well formed. The Georgian noble is distinguished by a sombre cast of visage, which, though stern, is of a fine contour, and harmonizes well with the minuteness of his figure, and the style of his dress, which consists of an under garment of fine pink cloth worn as a shirt, but leaving the neck entirely bare; a vest of cloth with sleeves sitting easy on the arm; a tunic descending over this to the knees, opening before, and bound round with a white sash, to which is attached the sword; trousers to the knees; whilst a sort of stocking, and a close-laced half boot, complete this picturesque costume. The Georgian women equal the men in grace, and are famed all over the East. Their dress is cumbersome and overloaded with ornament, and the face painted so as entirely to injure its expression. Under its gallant prince Heraclius, Georgia rose to the dignity of a separate kingdom. This country originally included nearly the whole northern declivity of the Caucasus, extending from the Black Sea to the Caspian. It is now divided into the four provinces of Cartuel, Kaket or Kacheti, Kisik called sometimes Tomcheti, and Georgian Armenia. The inhabitants consist chiefly of Christians of the Greek communion; to which are added Jews, Tartars, Armenians, and Russians. The chief rivers are the Kur and the Araxes, which fall into the Caspian. The chief, and indeed the only place of any consequence, is Tiflis, which, under the protecting policy of Russia, has rapidly grown up into a considerable mart of eastern commerce, and is on the increase. The inhabitants are not estimated at more than 320,000.