318 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



there was irrigation there arose groves of vivid green 

 poplars. 



I found Erivan to be a large town, the houses built 

 in European style, with carriages plying for hire, and 

 inns of very moderate pretentious. 



Next morning we resumed our journey towards the 

 Persian frontier, which we reached four days later 

 after travelling as fast as possible, and on two occa- 

 sions for several hours after the sun had set. Deli- 

 cious grapes were everywhere to be had, as well as 

 eggs, tea, bread, and fowls. 



On the other hand, the road was perfectly atrocious, 

 though in places the Eussians had already commenced 

 work upon it. I am not exaggerating when I affirm 

 that the dust was over a foot in depth in places. It 

 was also generally more or less covered with stones 

 and boulders of all sizes, which it is nobody's business 

 to remove. On several occasions we experienced 

 delay owing to want of horses, more especially at the 

 large village of Nakhechevan, where we were detained 

 six hours ; and, finally, finding that horses were not 

 forthcoming by sunset, we wrote in the post-book a 

 long complaint in Eussian, or rather an Armenian 

 gentleman, on his way to Tabreez, who had joined us, 

 did so, following the example of several previous 

 travellers. 



On the morning of the eighth day we crossed the 

 river Araxes in a kind of large punt, and I set foot, 

 for the first time, in Persia. 



Our passports had first to be stamped, for which 



