1-24 THE PERSIAX POST-KOAD. 



combining to form a wise polity, and insensibly yielding to 

 his destiny, soon to be merged with the slower but more 

 steadfast Russian. By his side may be seen the Kurd 

 chieftain, from the slopes of Alagoz, or Bingol Dagh, 

 armed with a round leather shield and dagger, Turk or 

 Russian, as suits his convenience — in reality paying 

 neither allegiance nor dues to any man, and looking what 

 he is, the free Arab of the mountains. The strong 

 pressure from without is producing some sort of union 

 amongst the Kurdish tribes ; they are constantly rein- 

 forced by emigrants from the Russian side of the 

 Araxes, and, if we may believe one who has had long ex- 

 perience of Oriental races, it is to them we must look for 

 the continuation of the struggle against the northern 

 flood, which has now finally swept over the Caucasus, and 

 is breaking round the slopes of Ararat. 



In the afternoon we called on the governor of the 

 province, who spoke excellent Erench, and showed a 

 desire to render us all the assistance in his power. We 

 learned that the Araxes was imjDassable, which of course 

 confirmed our intention of postponing our visit to Ararat. 

 The governor gave us letters to the commander of the 

 district of Nakhitchevan, and the Colonel of Cossacks 

 stationed at Ai^alykh, the frontier-post on the further side 

 of the Araxes, at the foot of Ararat. This letter we hoped 

 to use on our return from Tabreez. We sent Paul to 

 endeavour to procure some kind of spring- vehicle, but no 

 such thing was to be had in Erivan. 



May 24:th. — We were off at 4.30 a.m., in the usual 

 ' paraclodnaia ' ; both the carts and the road were horrible 

 for the first four stages. The ruts, in this part of the 

 world run across, instead of parallel with, the track, and 

 in consequence inflict a series of short sharp jolts on the 

 unlucky traveller. During the second stage we passed 



