MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



5irj 



others into sharp points with the 

 hatchet which we had found in 

 the hut, and with which one of 

 the sailors was armed. Whilst 

 we were busy at this work, we 

 suddenly heard the sound of 

 voices approaching us. They ap- 

 peared to proceed from some per- 

 sons on the other side of the 

 valley. Mr. ChlebnikofF, who, at 

 this time was seated the highest 

 up of any of us, saw a number of 

 working people pass by, among 

 whom were several women. 



When it began to grow dark, 

 we resumed our journey, and at 

 night reached the shore, along 

 which, we proceeded in a north- 

 erly direction. We had, however, 

 scarcely advanced to the distance 

 of a werst, when we unexpectedly 

 found ourselves in front of a 

 village, which was built beside a 

 steep rock, a circumstance which 

 accounted for our not having 

 sooner perceived it. We imme- 

 diately halted, fearing to proceed 

 lest guards might be stationed in 

 the village ; but finding that the 

 rock was extremely high, and 

 difficult to climb, we resolved at 

 all hazards to venture onwards. 

 W'e succeeded in passing unper- 

 ceived ; even the dogs never once 

 barked at us. We found here, 

 two boats which were good in 

 their kind, but too small for our 

 purpose, and we proceeded in the 

 hope of falling in with some larger 

 vessels. 



This occurrence afforded us 

 much satisfaction. We were con- 

 vinced that the villages were not 

 all so strictly guarded as we had 

 supposed. In the course of the 

 night we passed with equal bold- 

 ness through one or two other 

 villages, near which we saw several 



boats, but they wore all too small ; 

 besides, the road along the shore 

 was not so passable and good as 

 we had at first supposed. There 

 was a large plain between the 

 hills and the beach, which was 

 frequently intersected by hollows, 

 through whicii streams and 

 brooks flowed from the hills into 

 the sea. When the direct course 

 towards the sea was obstructed 

 by perpendicular rocks, the road 

 passed along the plain through 

 the hollows, in which the ascent 

 and descent were very steep, and 

 exceedingly difficult. We fre- 

 quently lost the footpaths, par- 

 ticularly in the valleys, where 

 the soil was usually composed of 

 gravel and sand, and we some- 

 times knew not how to get cut 

 of them. We often spent whole 

 hours in searching for the road, 

 and when we did not succeed in 

 finding it, we were compelled to 

 climb the heights in the dark, 

 with the greatest difficulty and 

 danger. There was in general 

 no trace of footsteps left among 

 the sand in the hollows, and we 

 were obliged to go forward trust- 

 ing to chance for finding an 

 outlet ; but we frequently found 

 our progress stopped by rocks, 

 which it was necessary to avoid 

 by making a circuit, or, to at- 

 tempt to surmount at the risk of 

 breaking our necks. 



At daybreak, on the 28th of 

 April, we again turned back to 

 the mountains, where we proposed 

 to remain during the day. When 

 the sun had fully risen, we found 

 ourselves upon a high hill, which 

 was totally barren, and conse- 

 quently afforded us no means of 

 concealment. We at length, how- 

 ever, discovered some bushes in 



2 L 2 a hollow, 



