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of mulled wine. We should have been happy enough, but 

 for the very doubtfid appearance of the weather. Soon 

 after our arrival there Avas a sharp shower of rain, followed 

 by hail, succeeded in its turn by a violent wind, which, when 

 we retired for the night, about 7 o'clock, was roaring in a 

 way suggestive of anything rather than an ascent of 

 Kazbek next morning. 



July 1st. — The cold in the night was not excessive, and 

 we slept in a broken sort of way till 1 a.m., when we 

 rose, and began to prepare for a start ; but it was not until 

 2.45, after more than the usual petty delays, that we — that 

 is Moore, Tucker, and I, with Francois — were fairly off on 

 our adventure. Before leaving the tent we had by pre- 

 arrangement fired off a pistol, to give notice to the 

 porters, who had retired to lairs at some little distance, 

 and out of sight ; but no one answered, and we heard 

 nothing of them until we were just starting, when there 

 was a distant howl, to which we in our turn made no 

 response, the fact being that we were not anxious for the 

 company of our friends, who in any serious difficulty 

 would probably have been more of an hindrance than help. 

 We therefore started alone, carrying only our rope, and 

 sufficient provisions for the day. 



Our camp must have been very close to the deserted 

 cells, afterwards described to us by Mons. Khatissian, and 

 it is quite possible that the porters, who, we remarked 

 at the time, went off with the an- of knowing what they 

 were about, and did not waste time in looking for holes 

 among the rocks close at hand, may have sought shelter 

 in them. Such conduct would not agree with the super- 

 stitious fears the natives are said to feel of the spot, but 

 our men may have thought that, havmg gone so far 

 already, it did not much matter what they did further. 



The morning was calm and lovely, and we fully enjoyed 



