SLEIGHING. 339 



and before the end of the day I came to the conclusion that 

 he must have been quite an artist in his own particular line. 



Years afterwards a Russian friend of mine remarked, as we 

 were galloping full speed in a troika down a steep hill with 

 nothing particular between us and the Black Sea or eternity 

 but a few hundred feet of jagged rocks, 'We don't use blinkers 

 in our country, and horses won't go over precipices if they 

 can avoid it.' I don't think they use blind horses much in 

 Russia. 



All the same I should have been a far more comfortable 

 traveller had that very true and practical observation been 

 made to, and well digested by, me before the day's proceedings 

 which I am trying to describe. 



There was no delay about starting this time. Hardly had 

 we seated ourselves in our box than the isvostschik poised 

 himself on a corner, shouted, cracked his whip, took a pre- 

 liminary canter over the profanity course, and then away we 

 dashed over the tableland as fast as ever the ramble hardy 

 little horses could lay their legs to the snow. In Turkey, when 

 riding post, I always found that the guide in charge of the 

 horses, the 'Suwarridji,' as he was called, always started at a 

 walk, then trotted, cantered, and finally settled down into a 

 gallop, which was kept up to the end of the stage. In Russia 

 they always seem to go off best pace at once, and so it was on 

 this occasion. Very pleasant travelling it was, gliding swiftly 

 over the smooth snow, so long as the more or less level land 

 lasted, but long it did not last, and after a very few versts had 

 been eaten up the descent began in earnest. 



Just as on the other side of the mountain, there was snow, 

 nothing but blinding snow above, below, and all around. The 

 track looked like a little thread curling round the sides of the 

 hills. Always at full speed we whizzed along it, the runners 

 throwing up the powdered snow like spray from the cutwater of 

 a steamer. 



As the sun rose and drew up the mists from the depths 

 below, the scene became one of almost indescribable grandeur. 



