OF THE OLD WOELD. 401 



no very serious obstacle, so that we got on famously, 

 and by noon reached a natural clearing in the woods, 

 carpeted with rich indigenous grasses and flowers of 

 the most delicate tints, and intersected with numer- 

 (jus small streams of crystal clearness, that flowed 

 in little murmuring cascades down the side of the 

 mountain. 



We continued to ascend until dusk, when we en- 

 camped for the night under the lee of a huge mass 

 of black granite, which exposure to the weather had 

 made as smooth as if it had been artificially polished. 

 Kising with the sun the following morning, and in- 

 vigorated by the bracing air, we gained the table- 

 land on the summit, after a tramp of about four 

 hours' duration. 



It was from this spot that we got the first imin- 

 terrupted view of the mighty El-Bruz, on whose 

 snow-clad summit the sky seemed to rest. It ap- 

 peared so distinctly defined that I did not imagine 

 it was more than fifteen miles off, and was much 

 surprised when our guide assured me that it was 

 nearly twelve saat, or about three times that dis- 

 tance. 



Our route now became much more difficult for 

 the horses, as we had to make our way for several 

 miles in an easterly direction along the tortuous 

 ridge of this range, sometimes clambering up craggy 

 cliffs so steep that every moment I was afraid of my 

 horse losing his balance and falling backwards with 

 me, and at other times having to descend rocky 



2c 



