132 THE TERSIAX TOST-ROAD. 



(at least on tliis side of Bokhara or Samarcand), is situated 

 at the climax of the wild scenery of the Ai'axes ; it might be 

 the frontier-post of the habitable world, and the entrance 

 to some other region, snch as the ancients imagined Hades. 

 A treeless j)lain, of a dreaiy brownish-grey, slopes down 

 to the Araxes, which flows out from behind rugged hills, 

 through which it has forced a way by some hidden cleft. 

 Behind us were the low red hills, and the gap through which 

 we had come ; before us a bold mass projected from the 

 hio-her chain on the Persian side of the river, which was 

 reft by a gap exactly opposite, and corresponding to, that 

 by which we had entered. To the north-east, where one 

 might have expected to look down the lower valley, the 

 view was suddenly barred by a grand snowclad range, the 

 summits of which towered 10,000 feet above our heads ; 

 their lower slopes were as arid and desolate as those above 

 the Dead Sea. The only signs of life were the two custom- 

 houses on the opposite banks, and a few miserable buUdings 

 clustered round each. When we reached the river's edge, 

 and gazed on the ferry-boat, now rendered useless by the 

 flood, and the frayed and worn-out rope, which scarcely 

 saved it from being borne away toAvards the Caspian, the 

 similitude of Hades, the Stygian flood, and Charon's tub, 

 was yet more forcibly recalled to our minds. On our 

 explaining our thoughts to Francois, he can-ied out the 

 idea with his usual readiness, and repKed 'Oui, mon- 

 sieur, et je pense que le voyage en enfer se fait en para- 

 clodnaia ' — an allusion to our late sufferings which gave us 

 a hearty laugh. 



Our vehicle pulled up before the door of the one good 

 house, where travellers are generally received by the officer 

 in charge of the station. We were about to enter, and ask 

 for a room and beds, when we were met in a most chilling 

 manner by a man in uniform, who informed us that this 



