TRAVELS IN CIRCASSIA. 377 



rents, we entered silent, peaceful dells, where tiny 

 rills trickled between moss-grown stones ; and passed 

 from forests of grand majestic trees, dark and gloomy, 

 into summer gardens of wild flowers, bright and 

 cheerful; and so on through green meadows and 

 orchards of fruitful trees, where bunches of purple 

 grapes hung side by side with walnuts or chestnuts, 

 as the tree was covered by the tenacious creeper, and 

 apples and figs presented themselves temptingly to 

 our grasp, and half-ripe medlars suggested the idea 

 of a second visit. There was some little excitement 

 going on in the valley of Tecumseh as we passed 

 down it, for a message had been sent by Omer Pasha 

 calling upon the inhabitants for a cavalry contingent ; 

 and a grand meeting of the young men was appointed 

 to take place, in order that the district of Ubooch 

 might be properly represented in the Turkish army. 



Our young men Avere very full of the anticipated 

 pleasures of campaigning, but I afterwards saw them, 

 in Mingrelia, considerably disenchanted. Many of 

 them had lost their horses from starvation, and they 

 were returning in a miserable plight. Meantime they 

 were great gossips, and what between the excitement 

 of being our guides, and of going to the wars, they 

 were extremely communicative to everybody they 

 met. The old Hadji told the same story over, of 

 who we were, where we had been, where we were 

 going, &c., for the edification of every passenger ; 

 and these roadside chats, though no doubt very full 



