nt organisation. They had no fortified camp like the Setch, but
lived in villages, and assembled as necessity demanded. As they were
completely beyond the sphere of Polish influence, they knew nothing
about "knightly honour" and similar conceptions of Western chivalry;
they even adopted many Tartar customs, and loved in time of peace to
strut about in gorgeous Tartar costumes. Besides this, they were
nearly all emigrants from Great Russia, and mostly Old Ritualists or
Sectarians, whilst the Zaporovians were Little Russians and Orthodox.

These military communities rendered valuable service to Russia. The best
means of protecting the southern frontier was to have as allies a large
body of men leading the same kind of life and capable of carrying on the
same kind of warfare as the nomadic marauders; and such a body of men
were the Free Cossacks. The sentiment of self-preservation and the
desire of booty kept them constantly on the alert. By sending out small
parties in all directions, by "procuring tongues"--that is to say, by
kidnapping and torturing straggling Tartars with a view to extracting
information from them--and by keeping spies in the enemy's territory,
they were generally apprised beforehand of any intended incursion. When
danger threatened, the ordinary precautions were redoubled. Day and
night patrols kept watch at the points where the enemy was expected, and
as soon as sure signs of his approach were discovered a pile of tarred
barrels prepared for the purpose was fired to give the alarm. Rapidly
the signal was repeated at one point of observation after another, and
by this primitive system of telegraphy in the course of a few hours the
whole district was up in arms. If the invaders were not too numerous,
they were at once attacked and driven back. If they could not be
successfully resisted, they were allowed to pass; but a troop of
Cossacks was sent to pillage their aouls in their absence, whilst
another and larger force was collected, in order to intercept them when
they were returning home laden with booty. Thus many a nameless battle
was fought on the trackless Steppe, and many brave men fell unhonoured
and unsung:

"Illacrymabiles Urgentur ignotique longa Nocte, carent quia vate sacro."

Notwithstanding these valuable services, the Cossack communities were
a constant source of diplomatic difficulties and political dangers. As
they paid very little attention to the orders of the Government, they
suppl