44 CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



on the whole of the vast territory rolUng away from 

 the Don province to the far-flung frontier lines of 

 Persia and Turkey. 



Nature has not, for some good purpose of her own, 

 provided many easy ways across the Caucasus, and 

 there are but two passes officially scheduled for all- 

 the-year-round wheel traffic — the Krestovaya Gora, 

 or Cross Pass, 7973 feet, on the Great Military Road 

 which connects Tifiis with Vladikavkaz, and, going 

 westward, the Mamison, 9284 feet, which links Min- 

 grelia and the north. Westward again, above Sou- 

 koum-Kaleh, is the Klukhor Pass, a binding thread 

 'twixt Cis-Caucasia and Kutais, the Cyta in Colchis 

 of Jason's day. But the Klukhor has limitations, for 

 during many weeks in the year it is wholly impassable, 

 and the time is not yet when it may be ranked with 

 the Krestovaya and Mamison passes. 



Over the main chain the horseman and " foot- 

 slogger " find some negotiable tracks. Eastward of 

 the Mamison are numerous horse trails, westward only 

 glacier passes, over some of which it is possible, at 

 certain seasons, to drive cattle. 



Through all the early ages the Caucasian chain 

 formed an unclimbable rampart between the northern 

 nomadic peoples and the many races domiciled in the 

 valleys of the south. 



Pompey, after crushing the Mediterranean pirates, 

 sailed his war-galleys up the Euxine, led his legions 

 against the Mithridatic forces and defeated the Iberians 

 near Mtsket, but never passed the foot of the central 

 range. Centuries afterwards, Justinian bivouacked 



