GERMAN SAVANTS. 103 



attacked, with good prospect of success, from tlie glaciers 

 at the head of the Baksan valley. Herr Radde, chiefly 

 known in England by his Siberian travels, although now 

 settled in Tiflis, as curator of the Museum of Natural 

 History, which has been lately founded, has not given up 

 his roaming habits. He kindly presented us each with a 

 copy of his work, ' Die drei Langhochthiiler Imeritiens, 

 Rion, Ingur, and Tskenis-Squali,' the fruit of his wander- 

 ings in the southern Caucasian valleys. It is the first 

 German book which has been printed at Tiflis. The 

 museum has not been long formed, but the collection is 

 already most interesting. Specimens of the geology, 

 natural history, the costumes, and household articles of 

 the inhabitants of the neighbouring regions, are grouped 

 together as efifectively as the limited space will allow. The 

 most striking object is a magnificent ' auruch ' from the 

 mountains west of Elbruz, a region which, now it has 

 been depopulated by the e:^pulsion of the Tcherkessian 

 tribes, will perhaps offer a safe asylum for some years to 

 come to this rare and noble beast. Two very well-stuffed 

 tigers from Lenkoran occupy the middle of a room, 

 round which are grouped bears, chamois, and bouquetins 

 from the Caucasus. 



One of the pleasantest of our Russian acquaintances at 

 Tiflis was General Chodzko, under whose superintendence 

 the Government Survey and the ' Five Verst Map ' of Trans- 

 Caucasia have been executed. During the progress of the 

 survey he ascended Ararat, and remained camped for nearly / 

 a week a short distance below the summit, engaged in 

 scientific observations. The General had also made at- 

 tempts on Kazbek and Elbruz, but he laughingly admitted 

 that mountaineering had been with him rather a necessity 

 than a pleasure; and he strongly dissuaded us from wasting 

 our time in attempting the higher summits, which, from 



