But to return after this digression to the origin of the Abáza; it is related by authentic histories that in the year 25 of the Hejíra, in the Calífat of Omár, there was an Arab called Basha Melek who then ruled Yathreb, Batha, Aden and Saba, and had five sons; the first was called Jebel-ul-himmet; the second Arab; the third Kisú who had three sons named Kais, Meválí, and Taí; the fourth Lazkí; and the fifth Abází. After the father’s death, the principality of the tribe devolved on the eldest son Jebel-ul-himmet, who, having by accident, knocked out the eye of an Arab was sentenced by Omar to lose one of his own. Jebel-ul-himmet on the same night took with him his four brethren, and sought refuge at Antiochia, with the Emperor Heraclius, who gave him the mountains of Syrian Tripolis. He there built the town of Jebellieh which still bears that name. Having undertaken some predatory excursions from thence towards Damascus and Medina, Kháled Ben Welíd and Eswed Ben Mokdád overpowering him with their forces, obliged him to fly. He embarked and went to Albania, where he took up his residence in the mountains of Avlonia, the inhabitants of which are now called the Koreishite Albanians: their songs have Arabic tunes, and they derive their origin from Jebel-ul-himmet, who is buried near Ilbessán. His descendants became apostates, and dwell in the mountains of Dúkat (Ducato) between Avlonia and Delonia. They are of a tawny colour like the Arabs, and hairy. So far of Jebel-ul-himmet. His brother Arab, and his three nephews Kais, Taí, and Meválí were carried by Kháled Ben Welid prisoners to Hedjáz, where Kais and Taí became masters of the tribes that bear their names. Arab their uncle became master of Ommán, their father Kisú and his two brethren Lazkí and Abází fled from Kháled Ben Welid, first came to Konia and then to Constantinople, where having heard, that Moavia the son of Ebí Sofián was approaching Constantinople, he sought shelter at Trebisonde. Here the banks of the river Júrúgh within the castle of Konia was assigned to the Lazkis (Lezgís) who are also of Arabic descent. To the brother Kisú was assigned the Circassian mountains, who, therefore, as well as the Lezgís boast of being Koreishites. Abazí got the country which actually bears his name, and thus the Circassians, Lezgís, Abáza, Albanians, the Arabic tribes of Taí, and Kais are all branches of the Koreish family. So God populated the earth, God does what he likes, and commands what he pleases! The principal tribe in Abáza are the Chách, who speak Mingrelian, which is spoken on the opposite shore of the Phasus; they are warlike men, in number about ten thousand, who follow more than one religion, and are an unruly set of people. Their mountains are very fruitful, particularly in nuts, hazel-nuts, and apricots; they bear the same arms as the Arabs, arrows, bows and lances, have few horsemen, but valorous footmen. Their harbour Lákia lies two journies to the west, three hundred miles from Trebisonde, but, on account of the heavy southerly and easterly gales, no ship can pass the winter there. Further to the west on the seashore is the village Khafál the frontier of the tribe Arlán, consisting of ten thousand warlike men; their harbour is called Láchigha; we remained here a night; it is a pleasant harbour both in winter and summer. We travelled two journies further to the west to the frontier of the tribe Chánda, fifteen hundred valiant men, true Abázas, they are called the mountain Chándas, and their harbour Kakúr. The village Kháke, near it, surrounded with gardens, faces the sea. Three journies beyond, by the seashore, are the great Chándas, twenty-five villages, fifteen thousand men; their harbour is called Chándalar, but it gives no shelter in winter. Behind these mountains is the land of the Mamshúkh Circassians. From the Chándas we marched a day’s journey towards the west, by the seacoast, and came to the tribe Kechilar; their country is like a paradise; it consists of seventy-five villages which furnish two thousand marksmen; its waters are pleasant. The great river Pessú flows from the Caucasus, and goes into the Black Sea; it is a fresh stream, which affords no ferry in summer, but is a safe shelter for ships in winter. Both shores are laid out in gardens by the people of Kechilar, who may bring ten thousand men into the field, the greater part horsemen. They are a very rich and rapacious people.