TRAVELS IN CIBCASSIA. 345 



no means offended at this depreciation of his merits. 

 He was evidently anxious to change owners, but was 

 afraid to manifest much feeling in the matter. The 

 Circassian, seeing that we were not to be taken in, at 



once reduced his price 10, upon which C raised 



his bid 5, and stated his determination not to gratify 

 his generous propensities by any further outlay. The 

 Circassian said he could not possibly part with the 

 article for less than 15, and the transaction in 

 consequence terminated unsatisfactorily. This man 

 had been a deserter from the Russian service, and, 

 like the one before mentioned, preferred his present 

 to his former mode of life. 



In the afternoon we left the valley, and followed 

 the course of a mountain tributary, the bed of which 

 was more rugged and impracticable than the one 

 we had just left. Compressed between overhanging 

 banks, the stream up which we had to struggle fretted 

 and foamed within its narrow limits ; lofty trees met 

 overhead, and flung their broad dark shadows on the 

 turbid water, their giant roots hanging from the 

 undermined bank, or twisted and contorted like 

 writhing snakes in the clayey soil Sometimes a 

 rocky barrier stretched across, and formed a small 

 cascade, and a few scattered sun -rays struggled in 

 and played upon the glittering spray. Pools lay 

 dark and silent, and looked so deep and still that we 

 Avere obliged to clamber up the bank to avoid them. 

 Occasionally the valley widened somewhat, and we 



