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coxs’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA . fgg
religion, and afterwards fupported himfelf by begging alms in the town of Dubranka.From thence he repaired to the colonies in Little Ruffia, and continued among the fec-taries, who are there eftablifhed in great numbers ; but apprehenfive of difcovery, hewent to the principal fettlement of the Coflacs of the river Yaik and perfuaded feveralto accompany him to Kuban. Being arrefted at Malekofka for treafonable ponverfation,he was fent for trial to Cafan ; where the indolence of the goveror, and the delays in .bringing him to juftice, gave him an opportunity of efcaping with a prieft, who privatelyfurnilhed him with money for intoxicating the centinels. He then went down the Vol-ga, and up the river Irghis into the defert; and not long afterwards appeared under thecharacter of Peter, at the head of numerous infurgents. The peculiar circumftances"which ferved to favour his enterprize were derived from the religious prejudices of theRuffian diffenters, and the mutiny of the Coffacs of the Yaik .
The Ruffian diffenters, called by the eftablifhed church RoJJiolniki or feparatifls, dif-tinguilh themfelves by the name of Staroverjki , or old believers. Thefe fedtaries havebeen frequently perfecuted, particularly under Peter I. who compelled them to paydouble taxes, and wear a badge of diftinftron. Perfecution, however, only tended toincreafe their numbers ; and they are (till numerous in Siberia , and among the Coffacsin the government of Orenburgh, where the rebellion of Pugatchef firft broke out.They confider the fervice of the eftablifhed church as profane and facrilegious ; theyhave their own priefts and ceremonies ; and Pugatchef artfully availed himfelf of theirreligious opinions, which he profeffed to ofpoufe and protedt.
The mutiny of a large body of Coffacs operated ho lefs in favour of Pugatchef. TheCoffacs of the Yaik , defcended from thofe of the Don, are a valiant race, enthufiaftsfor the antient ritual, and prizing their beards almoft equal to their lives ; they are richfrom their confiderable filheries of fturgeons ; they have alfo acquired a fpirit of inde-pendence by being fituated in a defert between the Caimucs and the Kirghefe, who arecontinually at variance with each other, and often with the Coflacs themfelves. Duringthe war with the Turks in 1771, feme recruits were required of thefe Coffacs for a corpsof huffars ; their beards were ordered to be fhaven; and as they oppofed this infringe-ment of their liberties, Major-General Traubenberg, a Livonian officer, who was fent at •the head of a few foldiers to Yaitlk to quell the tumult, imprudently commanded therecruits to be publicly lhaven in the midft of the town. The inhabitants, irritated bythis wanton infult, rofe in arms, wounded feveral officers, maffacred the general and thechief of the Coflacs, and broke into open rebellion. In fpring, General Freyman forcedYaitlk, captured feveral ringleaders of the mutiny, and garrifoned part of his troops inthe town. Many of the rebels made their efcape, and retiring into the defert, chieflyreforted to the marfhy grounds about the lake Kamylh-Samara, where they derived afubfiftence from filhing, and Ihooting wild boars, and were fupplied by their relationswith bread and provifions. By thefe means this defperate troop fupported themfelvesduring thefpace of two years, until Pugatchef made his appearance among them.
On his efcape from prifon, Pugatchef went fecretly to Yaitlk about the middle ofAuguft, 1773 ; where he gained over a number of followers among the people, whoWere enraged againft the garrifon, and had Ihewn a ftrong difpofition to revolt, when areport was circulated that a new Emperor was coming amongft them ; a report proba-bly occafioned by the firft appearance of Pugatchef in thefe parts. Obtaining, at Yaitlk,intelligence of the late mutiny, he followed the deferters; and having, in October,
* In order to extinguifli all remembrance of this rebellion, the river Yaik is now called Ural, Yaitlk,Urallk, and the Coffacs of the Yaik , the Uralian Coffacs.
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