Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 2, 1851).djvu/78

forces, dared to arrest their progress. On this subject, it is evident that the author of the little book, De Duabus Sarmatiis, was in error in speaking of the people of the Polovtzi, when he interpreted their name as meaning hunters; for Polovtzi means men of the plain; poli signifying a plain — lovatz and lovtzi both signifying hunters, the termination tzi and ksi not changing the signification, which does not depend upon the last, but upon the first syllables. But as it is a general custom with the Russians to add the generic syllable ski to this kind of words, the man has been deceived by this circumstance, so that Polovtzi ought to be interpreted "men of the plain", and not hunters. The Russians maintain that the Polovtzi were Goths, but I do not agree with that opinion. He who attempts to describe the Tartars will have to describe many races; for they derive this name from one sect alone, while they consist of various nations lying wide apart from each other. And now I return to the task I proposed to myself.

Bathi, proceeding with a strong force northwards, took possession of Bulgaria, which lies on the Volga below Kazan. In the following year, A.M. 6745 [A.D. 1237], following up his victory, he advanced into Muscovy and took the royal city, which surrendered to him after a siege which lasted a considerable time. He afterwards, however, broke his faith with respect to the terms upon which this surrender had been made; and proceeding onwards, carrying slaughter wherever he went, he desolated the neighbouring provinces of Vladimir, Pereaslav, Rostov, and Susdal — comprising many towns and fortresses — with fire, slaughtering the inhabitants or reducing them to servitude. He routed and slew the Grand Duke George, who had come out to meet him with a trained army; he also took Vasiley Constantinovitch prisoner, and put him to death: all which took place in the above-mentioned year 6745.

From that time nearly all the princes of Russia were in-