a name given to the people inhabiting the banks of the rivers Dnieper and Don, near the Black Sea and borders of Turkey. The word implies irregular troops of horse. These people are divided into European and Asiatic Cossacks. The first consist of the Zaporog, who dwell below the cataract of the Dnieper, some on the side next to Russia, and others on the opposite side of the river; the Lower and Upper Cossacks; the Belgorod Cossacks; and a part of the Don Cossacks. The Asiatic Cossacks are composed of the rest of the Don Cossacks, the Grebin Cossacks, the Yalik Cossacks, and the Western Calmucks, who retiring from those that inhabited the south borders of Siberia under Yaiku Can, settled upon the Volga, and are dependent upon Russia.

The Cossacks were known by that name ever since the 948th year of Christ. They dwelt upon Mount Caucasus, in the place now called Cabardy; and were reduced under the Russian dominion by Prince Mihailov in the year 1021. Many Russians, Poles, and others, who could not live at home, have, at different times, been admitted among the Cossacks; but the latter, abstracted from these fugitives, must have been an ancient and well governed nation.

Toward the beginning of the 16th century, the Zaporog Cossacks fixed their habitations on the spacious plains that extend along the banks of the Dnieper. They had undergone considerable hardships from the incursions of the Tartars, for which they afterwards found means to avenge themselves in an ample manner. The Poles being sensible how serviceable the Cossacks might be in defending them from the ravages of the Tartars, and even the Russians, proposed to them terms of alliance. In 1562, they solemnly took them under their protection, and engaged to pay them an annual subsidy; in return for which the Cossacks were to keep on foot a sufficient body of troops for the defence of the Polish dominions. With a view to bind them still more strongly by ties of interest, the Poles gave them the whole country between the rivers Dnieper and Neister, and the borders of Tartary. The Cossacks applied themselves with great industry to the cultivation of this fertile spot; so that in a short time it was interspersed with large towns and handsome villages. Besides, they continually harassed the Turks, and did them great damage by their incursions; and, in order to prevent the latter from pursuing them, or making reprisals, they possessed themselves of several small islands in the Dnieper, where they kept their magazines, &c. The hetman or general of the Cossacks was not in the least subordinate to the field marshal of Poland; but acted in concert with him as an ally, and not as a subject of that republic. But this alliance, though of such manifest advantage to both parties, was not of long duration. The Poles, seeing the vast improvements made by the Cossacks, in the country they had given up to them, became envious of them, and actually made an attempt to bring them into subjection, as we have seen in the history of Poland. In 1648 the Cossacks gained great advantages over them, and next year came to an accommodation, in which they not only preserved their old immunities, but obtained additional privileges. The result of all was, that these Cossacks remained under the protection of Russia; and as their former country was entirely laid waste in the late wars, they settled in the Russian Ukraine, upon receiving formal assurances from the court of Russia, that no alteration should be made in their political constitution, and that no taxes whatever should be laid upon them. The Cossacks, on the other hand were always to keep in readiness a good body of troops for the service of Russia; but in the year 1708 Mazeppa, their hetman or chief, went over from the Russians to the Swedes; upon which Peter I. resolved to prevent such revolts for the future. To this end, after the battle of Poltava, he sent a strong detachment into the above-mentioned little islands in the Dnieper, whither the Cossacks had fled with their wives and children, and all their effects; and ordered them all to be put to the sword without distinction, and the plunder to be divided among his soldiers. He likewise sent a great number of men into their country, and caused several thousands of the Cossacks to be carried to the coasts of the Baltic, where they were put to all sorts of hard labour; by which means he in a manner extirpated the whole nation.

What distinguishes the Zaporog Cossacks from all other people is, that they never suffer any women in their settlements, as the Amazons are said not to have suffered any men among them. The women of these Cossacks live in other islands of the Dnieper. They never marry, nor have any family: all their male children are enrolled as soldiers, and the females are left with their mothers. The brother often has children by his sister, and the father by his daughter. They know no laws but those which custom has introduced, founded on their natural wants; though they have among them some priests of the Greek persuasion. They serve in the armies as irregulars; and woe to those who fall into their hands.

The country of these Cossacks, who are an assemblage of ancient Roxolans, Sarmatians, and Tartars, is called the Ocraine or Ukraine. It lies upon the borders of Russia and Poland, Little Tartary, and Turkey, and was anciently a part of Scythia. By virtue of the last treaty settled between Russia and Poland, in 1693, the latter remains in possession of all that part of the Ukraine which is situated on the west of the Dnieper, and is now but poorly cultivated. That on the east side, inhabited by the Cossacks, is in a much better condition, and extends about two hundred and sixty miles in length, and as many in breadth. It is one continued fertile plain, watered by a great number of fine rivers, diversified with pleasant woods, and yields such plenty of all sorts of grain, pulse, tobacco, honey honey and wax, as to supply a great part of the Russian empire with those commodities. Its pastures are exceeding rich, and its cattle very large; but the inhabitants are greatly plagued by locusts, which infest this fine country. The houses in the Ukraine are, like those of the Russians, mostly built with timber.

The Cossacks are tall and well made, generally hawknosed, and of a good mein. They are hardy, vigorous, brave, and extremely jealous of what is most valuable in life, their liberty; fickle and wavering, but sociable, cheerful, and sprightly. They are a very powerful people, and their forces consist wholly of cavalry.—Their dialect is a compound of the Polish and Russian languages; but the latter is the most predominant. They were formerly Pagans or Mahometans; but upon their entering into the Polish service, they were baptized Christians of the Roman communion; and now that they belong to Russia, they profess themselves members of the Greek church.

Each of their towns, with the district belonging to it, is governed by an officer called ottomann or altamann.

The Don Cossacks, so called from their residence upon the banks of the river Don, greatly resemble those already described. In the year 1559, when the Czar Ivan Bafloowitz was emperor of Russia, they voluntarily put themselves under his protection, and are at this time on a pretty equal footing with the other Russian subjects. They have several towns and villages upon the banks of the Don; but are prevented from extending themselves farther up the country, by the scarcity of fresh water and wood in many places. Their chief support is grazing and agriculture, and occasionally robbing and plundering, for which they want neither capacity nor inclination. Every town is governed by a magistrate called tamann; and the tamanns, with their towns, are under the jurisdiction of two ottomanns, who reside at Ttherkalky. The troops of these Cossacks likewise consist entirely of cavalry. In this country all the towns and villages are fortified and encompassed with palliades, to defend them against the incursions of the Calmucks and Kuban Tartars, with whom they are continually at war. The Cossacks, in general, are of great service to garrison towns by way of defence, or to pursue an enemy; but are not so good at regular attacks.

The Siedl Cossacks, who are also called Haidamacks, have their particular hetman. They inhabit the Russian, Polish, and Turkish dominions, along the banks of the Dnieper.

The Yaik Cossacks dwell on the south side of the river Yaik; and upon the succurs of the Russian arms in the kingdom of Astracan, voluntarily submitted to them. In stature they greatly resemble the other Cossacks; though by their boorish manner of living, and intermarriages with the Tartars, they have not the shape and air peculiar to the rest of their countrymen. Their natural dispositions and customs are, however, nearly the same. Husbandry, fishing, and feeding of cattle, are their principal employments; and, like the other tribes, they let slip no opportunity of making depredations on their neighbours. Their continual wars with the Kara Kalpacs and the Kafatshaia-Horda oblige them to keep their towns and villages in a state of defence. They are indeed subject to Russian waiwodes, to whom they pay an annual tribute in corn, wax, honey, and cattle; but they have also their particular chiefs, who govern them according to their ancient customs. Though the generality of the Yaik Cossacks profess the Greek religion, yet a great many relics of Mahometanism and Paganism are still found among them. Being naturally bold and hardy, they make excellent folderes; and they are not so turbulent as the other Cossacks. They live entirely at peace with the Calmucks and their other neighbours, and even maintain a commercial intercourse with them.