b o o k CoiTac Ivan Pugatchef, was born at Simoveiik, a {mall village
, upon the Don. Pie was a common coffac in the war which
the Ruffians, during the reign o f Elizabeth, carried on againft
the king o f Pruffia, and ferved in the fame capacity during
thè campaign o f 1769 againft the Turks. He was at the
fxege of Bender ; and upon the {arrender o f that town the
following year demanded his difmiffion, which being re-
fufed, he deferted and fled into Poland 1 he was there re ceived
and hid by fome hermits of the Greek religion, and
afterwards fupported himfelf by begging alms in the town
of Dubranka. From thence he made to the colonies in
Little Ruffa, and continued among the feitaries, who are
there eftabliihed in great numbers ; but being apprehenfive
o f a difcovery, he repaired to the principal fettlement o f the
Coffacs o f the river Yaik and perfuaded feveral o f them
to accompany him to Kuban, but without having as yet af-
fumed the name of Peter f t . Being arrefted at Malekofka
for his treafonable converfation, he was fent for trial to Ca-
fan ; where the indolence o f the governor, and the delays
in bringing him to juftice, gave him time and opportunity
o f efcaping with a prieft, who had privately furnifhed him
with money for intoxicating the centinels. He then went
down the Volga, and up the river Irghis into the defert, and
not long afterwards appeared under the character o f Peter III.
at the head o f a large body o f troops. The peculiar circum-
ftances which ferved to favour his enterprize were derived
from two principal caufes, namely, the religious prejudices
of the Ruffian diflenters, and the mutiny o f the Coffacs of
the Yaik.
* i n o rd e r to ex tin gu iflv a ll remem- now called U r a l , Y a it flt, U r a lik , and the
brance o f this reb e llion , the river Y a ik is Coffa cs o f th e Y a ik , the U ra lian Co ffa cs .
The
T h e Ruffian diffenters, called by the eftablifhed church C^P-
Rojkolniki or feparatifts, diftinguifh themfelves by the name«— '
o f Staroverjki, or old believers *. Thefe fedtaries have been
frequently perfecuted, and particularly under Peter I. who
compelled them to pay double taxes, and to wear a particular
badge of diftindtion. Perfecution, however, has only tended
to increafe their numbers ; and they are ftill very numerous
in Siberia, and among the Coffacs in the government o f Oren-
burgh, where the rebellion o f Pugatchef firft broke out.
They coniider the fervice o f the eftabliihed church as profane
and facrilegious; they have their own priefts and ceremonies
; and Pugatchef was artful enough to take advantage
o f their religious prejudices, which he openly profeffed to
efpoufe and protect.
The mutiny o f a large hody o f Coffacs was the fecond
caufe which operated in favour o f Pugatchef . The Coffacs o f
the Yaik, who are defcended from thofe o f theDon, are a very
brave and valiant race, all cnthuiiafts for the antient ritual,
and prizing their beards a'lmoft equal to their lives: they are
rich from .their confiderable fiflaeries o f fturgeons.; they have
alfo acquired a fpirit o f revolt and independence by being
fituated in a defert between the Calmucs and the Kirghefe,
who are continually at variance with each other, and often
with the Coffacs themfelves. During the war with the
Turks, a certain number o f recruits were required o f thefe
Coffacs for a corps o f huffars ; confequently their beards
were ordered to be ihaven; and as they oppofed this infringement
of their liberties and cuftoms, major general Trauben-
berg, a Livonian officer, who was fent at the head o f a few
foldiers to Yaitik to quell the tumult, imprudently commanded
that the recruits ihoukl be fhaven publickly in the
* F o r th e o r ig in o f this f e d fee V o l. I . p . 323.,
K 3 midft