396 THE HUNTING GROTJNDS 



which our horses were generally able to ford, but 

 sometimes had to swim. Now and then we had 

 a good deal of trouble to cross, on account of the 

 force of the current ; and on one occasion we nearly- 

 lost one of our number, who got into a quicksand, 

 and was only saved by our throwing him branches, 

 with which he supporteu himself until we managed 

 to draw him out with a rope. 



We rode for ten or twelve miles along the base 

 of thickly-wooded hills, until we came to a good- 

 sized stream, running between high steep banks, 

 fringed in places with willow and large trees, some- 

 what resembling the sycamore, which our guide 

 informed us was a branch of the River Kodor, the 

 same we had forded near the embouchure when 

 accompanying the Turkish army from Suchum 

 Kaleh. Here we determined to bivouac, and whilst 

 my people were engaged in culinary operations, I 

 strolled up the river with Ahmed and Kuchuk, on 

 the look-out for a chance shot at deer, as I had 

 seen a few slots during our march. Suddenly turn- 

 ing round a bend in the liver, I observed some 

 smoke a short distance ahead, which, after a care- 

 ful reconnaissance, we approached, and found a 

 party of Abassians catching fish in ingenious traps 

 made of willows, which are laid in the most likely 

 places in the stream. They had upwards of two 

 dozen very fine fish, chiefly trout, which seemed 

 exactly to resemble the English species, being formed 

 and speckled without any distinguishable difference. 



