TURKISH ROADS. 127 



" charged " down hill, and whenever he whipped 

 up and commenced a more lively pace than usual, 

 we were sure to find there was some break-neck 

 place to trot down, or dangerous spot to pass. 

 Once I remember both surrigee and horse tum- 

 bling down the face of a rock, a height of about 

 six feet perhaps, into the bed of the river below, 

 the sloping nature of the rock not allowing foot- 

 ing for the horse. They both shook themselves, 

 and jumped up again, none the worse. The horses 

 often cast shoes, which were as often put on again 

 by the surrigee, who carried a hammer and nails 

 with him. The roads, it must be remembered, are 

 mere tracks, generally full of large stones, with 

 endless turnings, in ascending or descending 

 hills. 



Sometimes the remains of a regular Turkish 

 road were visible. These are paved roads, and 

 being only just wide enough for a cart, or a gun 

 with its carriage, appear to the eye of an Euro- 

 pean more like footpaths than roads. If in good 

 repair, these would be practicable for artillery ; 

 but now they have been allowed to fall so much 

 to decay, that it would be a difficult, though not 

 an impossible matter to get guns along. Of this 



