MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



5oa 



safe place of concealment, they 

 would stop for two or three days, 

 during whicl) time I might recover 

 the use of my leg. MakarofF 

 besides offered to assist me in 

 climbing the hills, if I would go 

 behind him and hold by the 

 skirts of his jacket or his girdle. 

 In this manner I resolved to 

 follow my companions ; 1 was 

 unable to walk, and was dragged 

 alons^ by the sailors. 



Having ascended another hill, 

 we reached a level spot which 

 was covered with bamboo reeds 

 and grass of the preceding year. 

 Here we rested for a short time, 

 and then advanced in a northerly 

 direction, taking the stars for 

 our guides. The night was calm 

 and clear, and thesnow-topt hills, 

 which we had yet to ascend, shone 

 in the distance. The level emi- 

 nence which we were now cross- 

 ing, was separated from the 

 adjoining hill by a ravine of ex- 

 traordinary depth, which we 

 thought it imprudent to descend 

 during the night, as we might 

 have experienced considerable 

 difficulty in extricating ourselves 

 from the abyss. Instead therefore 

 of advancing straight northwards, 

 we turned a little towards the 

 west, and proceeded along the 

 edge of the ravine, in the hope 

 of finding some convenient place 

 for crossing it. Our embarrass- 

 ment was not- of long duration. 

 Wc soon discovered a kind of 

 mound which appeared to be 

 indebted to art for its existence, 

 and which connected together the 

 summits of the hills, which were 

 otherwise separated by the pre- 

 cipitous ravine. It was on account 

 of its magnitude only that it could 

 1)6 regarded as a production of 



nature. As we were proceeding 

 onward we discovered, as we 

 supposed, two huts, and at inter- 

 vals heard the sound of a pipe 

 resembling that which is used in 

 Russia for alluring quails. We 

 stooped down among the grass, 

 and for a long while listened 

 attentively without knowing whe- 

 ther the sound proceeded from 

 a bird or from some hunters whom 

 we suspected might be in the 

 huts. We at length resolved to 

 advance, being well aware that 

 their number could not be so 

 considerable as to prevent our 

 resisting them with success in 

 case they attacked us. On ap- 

 proaching, however, we disco- 

 vered that what we had in the 

 da-rk taken for huts were merely 

 two heaps of poles. We armed 

 ourselves with some of these 

 poles, and then pursued our 

 course. 



On reaching the next hill we 

 discovered a wide road leading 

 to the north, along which coals 

 and wood are conveyed on pack- 

 horses to the city. We observed 

 plainly that this road had not 

 been trodden during the present 

 spring, though we perceived in 

 all directions fires which were 

 doubtless kindled for making 

 charcoal. The sides of this road 

 were overgrown with thickets 

 and high grass, among which we 

 lay down to rest at midnight, for 

 owing to the sharp stones with 

 which the cave was filled, we had 

 not enjoyed a moment's repose 

 during the day. We slept for 

 two or three hours and then 

 resumed our course. From the 

 summit of the hill we descended, 

 by various turnings and windings, 

 into a small valley, which was 



watered 



