204 ASCENT OF KAZBEK. 



winters ; liuge walls of crag loomed through the mist, and 

 pressed us so closely on either side, that, but for the path 

 afforded bj the avalanche snows, we should have been 

 puzzled to find a means of exit. This aid at last failed 

 us, the stream burst itself free, and tumbled into a gorge. 

 After a laborious scramble for some distance over hufje 

 boulders, we found it impossible to follow it any farther, 

 and therefore made a sharp but short ascent to the right, 

 when Fran9ois happily hit on a faint track, which led us 

 by steep zigzags into the same glen again, at a lower 

 2)oint. After more than once missing and re-finding the 

 path, we rounded an angle of the valley, and, the mists 

 having lifted somewhat, saw that we were close to the 

 junction of our torrent with that from the main Devdorak 

 glacier. On the grassy brow between the two streams 

 cows and goats were grazing, and as it was now 7.45 p.m., 

 we debated on the propriety of stopping here for the 

 night. The question was decided by the information we 

 got from the herdsmen, an old man and two boys, who 

 proved to be very decent fellows. All communication, 

 except by pantomime, was of course impossible ; but 

 necessity sharpens the wits, and we gathered from them, 

 without much difficulty, that the Devdorak torrent was 

 bridgeless and big, and that they had fresh milk, and 

 would allow us to share their shelter. It was only a 

 hollow under a partially overhanging cliff surrounded by 

 a low wall, which was but a poor protection against the 

 attacks of inquisitive sheep and goats, who invaded us 

 several times during the night, and succeeded in carrying 

 off and eating some gloves and gaiters. Despite these 

 inroads, and a Scotch mist, which fell pretty heavily from 

 time to time, we managed, with stones for pillows and our 

 mackintoshes spread over us, to snatch a good deal of 

 sleep. 



