•220 TIIK ARDOX VAIJJ^Y. 



defensible rock-knoll. We climbed on to a level-topped 

 green brow at some height on the left bank of the stream, 

 then made a dip into a lateral ravine, on the opposite 

 bank of which we passed another hamlet. The map showed 

 that this was the last of the upper cluster of villages, and 

 after some discussion we halted a few minutes further on 

 at a solitary house by the wayside. A large empty bam 

 was ovir quarters for the night, and as we were able 

 to add eggs and milk to the provisions we carried with 

 us, we did not fare badly for supper. The position of 

 affairs daring the evening was not pleasant, as the manner 

 of our horsemen was insolent and suspicious, and led us 

 to apprehend an attack in the night. In order, therefore, 

 to let them see that we were prepared to meet it, we 

 had a grand review of ^ our forces before retiring — that 

 is to say, we ostentatiously fired and reloaded our 

 three revolvers, a performance which excited considerable 

 astonishment. The baggage was all collected at one end 

 of the barn, and we slept lightly; but the night passed 

 without disturbance, and I hope our suspicions of the men 

 may have been unfounded. 



July Bth. — We had only engaged our horsemen for the 

 previous evening, but being unable to find others, we wtre 

 obliged to retain their services at their own valuation, 

 which was of course an extravagant one. We expected to 

 have an easy stroll down one branch of the Ardon and up the 

 other to the foot of the Mamisson Pass, and meant to sleep 

 at one of the villages on its eastern side. Our first inten- 

 tion had been to leave Paul and the heavy baggage at 

 Dalla-Kav, at the fork of the torrents, and ourselves to 

 descend the main valley for some distance, and then turn 

 up a lateral glen, which appears from the Five Verst Map 

 to be well wooded, and to contain at its head the largest 

 glacier of the Adai-Khokh group, over Avhicli we might 



