242 CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



somewhere or other that dear old Sir John Mandeville 

 never existed, much less " ryghte merveylously 

 travyled," and Marco Polo, instead of being rated as 

 the greatest explorer of his age, was dismissed as its 

 ablest Ananias ! After this it seemed quite natural to 

 think of Columbus of immortal memory dying in 

 fetters, branded as a romancer and a cheat. 



He was a philosopher, indeed, who said that all men 

 willingly believe what they wish to believe. So — 

 poor spell-bound spirits of Elbruz, you are free at last ! 

 Unknown member of the Alpine Club, I thank thee ! 



From Mineralaya we practically had the train to 

 ourselves, and after a picnic breakfast we glued our 

 eyes on the landscape, which was filled by the bold 

 peak of Beschtau, rising above the group of his brothers. 



At Suvorovskaya station — a terrific name for such a 

 place ! — post-carts were waiting for us, three of them, 

 all of telega variety driven by wild men, " bearded like 

 pards," to whom not even the linguist Ali could speak. 



Seeing the luggage securely fastened on to one bone- 

 shaker, we got into another and sat on the floor, 

 holding on tightly to the gunwale as the box-like 

 contraption started with a jerk over a " road " which 

 was nothing but the open unbroken steppe. 



The word steppe is a little befogging to those who 

 haven't seen the type of country it represents, for it 

 irresistibly conjures up a waste of sun-baked land 

 stretching away to the horizon in unending miles. As a 

 matter of fact, steppe country is not necessarily flat. 

 Sometimes, indeed, it is of a rolling conformation, 

 set high, perhaps, on elevated plateaux, or it may be 



