186 THE KRESTOWAJA GORA. 



the usual medley in the cupboard) and much civility. 

 Although a very cursory int.'neetion of the mountain 

 suggested several routes, oifering .a fair chance of reaching 

 the summit, yet it was felt that .*"0 make the assault 

 without a previous reconnaissance woui^d be unadvisable, 

 bearing in mind especially our utter wan^ of trammg. 

 Paul was therefore told to find a native Ny^bo would 

 accompany us, in the morning, to some point ofNs^™*^!®^^ 

 elevation to command an uninterrupted view of theS^^un- 

 tain, and at the same time to accustom our muscles t!*li ^be 

 work before them. In due course he reappeared, with li«k..,, 

 good-looking man known as Alexis, who, he said, was a 

 mighty hunter, and knew more about the mountains than 

 anyone else. This worthy seemed to our eyes a feeble 

 creature, but as no one else was forthcoming, and it was not 

 probable that we should put his ability to a very severe 

 trial, he was engaged to be our pioneer on the morrow. 



June 29th. — We were up betimes, and starting before 

 5 A.M., on as fine a morning as ever rejoiced the heart of a 

 mountaineer, climbed to an old church perched on a lofty 

 brow 1,500 feet above the village. This building is re- 

 garded with great reverence by the inhabitants, and is 

 made an object of pilgrimage ; but their religious feelings 

 do not prompt them to keep it in repair, and the interior 

 is in a very desolate and ruinous state. In Klaproth's 

 time it was the practice to open it only once a year, but 

 the attendant, who had joined us on our way up, made no 

 difficulty about admitting us, although to open the door 

 he had first to gain admission by getting in himself through 

 one of the windows — no easy task. From the enclosure 

 round the church we could see the ground between us 

 and the base of the great mountain. Just opposite, and 

 easily accessible from where we stood, a snow-clad peak, 

 evidently commanding a view of Kazbek, offered itself 



