Realizing the importance of ensxiring the loyalty of this important part of the Cossack community, the Tsar had in the early stages of the events just narrated forwarded a present of sixty thousand florins to the sitch. It had, however, pleased the independent humour of these warriors to keep the money sent by the Russians and at the same time to declare for Charles and his Polish allies. In the pages of Norberg's History a full account is given of these negotiations, wherein the customs of the once famous Zaporogian brotherhood appear in no very creditable light. Their "war" leader, or koshevoy ataman^ was, at this time, a Cossack named Gordianko. This worthy had but a short time before narrowly escaped massacre in the course of the tumultuous public assembly which had elected him to his office — a fact for which he held the envoys of the Tsar responsible. It was the recollection of this incident which may have disposed him so warmly to adopt the cause of the Hetman Mazeppa. At a meeting held in a secret spot on the shore of the Dikanka the temporary submission of the Zaporogians to the Hetman of the Ukraine had been agreed upon. The horse-tail standards of the Zaporogians had been dipped before the national flag of the Ukraine, and Mazeppa in an eloquent speech pointed out the necessity of an alliance against the Tsar. In order formally to celebrate the accession of the Zaporogians to the "Cossack cause" a banquet was now served to the delegates from the sitcJi. Around a board furnished with a magnificent service of silver plate (borrowed for the occasion from a Polish gentleman among Mazeppa's retinue) the Zaporogians renewed their solemn oath of allegiance to the cause of Charles XII and the Polish party with whom he was in alliance. On leaving the tent where these ceremonies had taken place the Zaporogian delegates were found to be in a state of complete drunkenness. Some of the more intoxicated even insisted on taking away the silver plates and goblets as a souvenir of the occasion saying that this was a Zaporogian's privilege. An unfortunate butler in an ill-advised attempt to save his master's property aroused the anger of these turbulent guests and was seized and stabbed to death. Not content with thus vindicating their injured dignity, the noble Zaporogians now declared through their Koshevoy that if they were not allowed to keep this spoil, according to ancient custom, they would immediately break off the newly- formed union to which they had engaged their followers. The matter was satisfactorily arranged, but during a subsequent interview with the King of Sweden it was considered wise to exact a promise from the Zaporogian envoys to "refrain from getting drmik before the banquet." It was upon the caprice of such allies that Charles depended to overthrow the power of Peter the Great!*
* A strange survival of "Cossack law" has just come to light through an incident connected with the recent allied occupation of Archangel. Under the date of April 5th, 1919, the Xew York Times printed the following cablegram:
"Akchaxgel, April 5, 1919 (Associated Press). — The theft of 4,000,000 rubles that were in possession of the Bolsheviki bj a band of Circassian Cossack officers whose activities also included the arrest of the American Consul at Archangel and the kidnapping of the North Russian Grovernment, was explained at the trial of the officers today before the supreme judiciary authority of Northern Russia. The officers, among whom were Captain Bers and Colonel Melia, were con\'icted and sentenced to imprisonment and deprivation of their rank and decorations. Because of their military valor the court reconmiended that they be pardoned.
"The defendants unfolded an astonishing story of the inner details of the days before the allied troops landed at Archangel and the political plots that occurred afterward. They admitted nearly every accusation, pleading old Cossack laws and the political situation as justification.
**Last July, when an allied landing at Archangel seemed imminent, Captain Bers and the other Cossacks were aligned with the Bolsheviki. As the allied transports approached the city the bulk of the Bolshevist force fled, but Bers and the Cossacks remained behind as did Colonel
In the meantime, Mentchikov, the Tsar*s favourite, had not been idle. As we have already observed the Russian troops had for some time been preparing for the not unexpected defection of Mazeppa and the Zaporogians. Shortly after the hetman's departure, Mazeppa learned that his own household, together with all the proiasions he had amassed there for the winter campaign of the Swedish army, had been captured by a brilliant Russian attack. To serve as an example the Cossack notables of the town were put to death by Mentchikov with every refinement of cruelty. On