]9-' ASCENT OF KAZBEK. 



nence of tlie impending danger, still exist. Mons. Khatis- 

 sian, with some trouble, discovered the ofi&cer whose reports 

 were fullest and most intelligible. He asked for further 

 details as to the nature of the catastrophe. The Colonel 

 was at first confused and ambiguous, but soon, with an 

 air of frankness, exclaimed, ' I will tell you the real state 

 of the case — I was never near the mountain at all.' ' But 

 here I have, an elaborate description of the state of the 

 glaciers, with your signature P ' ' That is very possible. 

 You see, I received orders from Tiflis to go and report 

 on the state of the mountain. Why should I peril my 

 life to no purpose? I could not avert the danger, so I 

 wrote, and said the mountain was much as usual. Then 

 I got second instructions ; I was to go in person and 

 send a full detailed report of the exact nature of the 

 danger to be apprehended. I started; I climbed into 

 that horrible glen ; I saw precipices overhanging my 

 head — torrents roaring at my feet. Suddenly I came in 

 view of a whole mountain of ice, already torn into frag- 

 ments by the steepness of the slope to which it clung. 

 To advance was certain death. I reflected on my wife 

 and children, fled back to the road as quickly as possible, 

 and reported that the expected avalanche had fallen, and 

 that, happily, no one was the worse for it.' 'Then,' 

 asked Mons. K., ' the celebrated avalanche of 1842 never 

 existed but on paper — in fact, is your creation ? ' ' Ex- 

 actly, Monsieur,' was the reply. 



Preserved in the same ofiice is a scheme for preventing 

 the recurrence of the danger, which, for its happj^ audacity, 

 deserves mention. An engineer proposed to build a wall 

 in front of the glacier, to prevent its further advance. 

 That inundations issuing from the glen of Devdorak have 

 from time to time seriously injui-ed the Dariel road, is 

 undoubted ; but the notion of their recurrence at fixed 



