196 ASCENT OP KAZBEK. 



complete suits of chain-armour, who had come down from 

 a neighbouring village to greet the Grand Dukes. They 

 carried small round shields, like those of the Kurds, which 

 they used very cleverly to parry the blows of their assail- 

 ants ; the principal feat seemed to be for one man to 

 defend himself against the assault of two enemies. 



June SOth. — Having marshalled our porters, who had a 

 horse to help in cari-ying the luggage as far as possible, 

 we started on our ascent of Kazbek, receiving a parting 

 benediction from the two officials, who came out into the 

 balcony to see us off. Instead of climbing to the old 

 chiu'ch, we took a path to the right, which led us into the 

 glen opposite the station, and we then passed, over rough 

 ground beside the torrent, to the point where the streams, 

 coming respectively from the Ortzviri glacier, and from the 

 smaller ice-stream which descends from the east face of the 

 mountain, unite. A narrow track mounted, by zigzags, the 

 bluff which projects between the two branches of the glen. 

 A long and steep ascent, which was beguiled by the variety 

 and beauty of the flowers, led up to a gently-sloping mea- 

 doAV, such, as in the Alps would have been occuj)ied by a 

 group of chalets, a little beyond which the horse was left, 

 although he might have gone farther without difficulty. 

 We were now close to the snout of the Ortzviri glacier, 

 which, as before mentioned, sweeps round the southern flank 

 of Kazbek, and, despite many remonstrances from the 

 porters, already getting beyond their beat, we climbed on, 

 up the steep slopes on its left bank, until at 2.30 p.m. — at a 

 height of 11,000 feet — we found a most suitable spot for a 

 bivouac. It was a mossy plot, in a hollow protected on 

 one side by the moraine, on the other b}- the great southern 

 spur of Kazbek. Here we pitched our tent, and under 

 Francois' superintendence established our cuisine, which 

 turned out some excellent soup, broiled ham, and a brew 



