228 TlIK AllUOX \ VLLKY. 



usually in good condition, and a shabby or poor-looking 

 man is hardly to be met with. Altogether it is impos- 

 sible not to admit that their external appearance is some 

 excuse for the title of ' Gentlemen of the Mountains,' 

 which Count Leverschoff gave them. 



We were still at some distance from the head of the 

 valley, the scenery of which continued to be of the same 

 monotonous description. About half an hour above Teeb 

 there was a fine view, looking back towards a great snow- 

 crowned mass, a western outpost of the Kazbek group. 

 The track, gradually ascending by a imiform gradient 

 above the torrent, made long and frequent circuits round 

 lateral ravines, until, after passing several villages, the 

 head-waters of the Ardon opened before us, and the long 

 straight valley broke up into several glens, running up 

 into a semicircle of peaks, several of which were re- 

 markable for their bold pyramidal forms. Our road 

 turned up the northern of these glens, and wound along 

 its side for some distance, almost at a level, until a huge 

 snow-drift, which rose in a wall across the track, capped 

 with an overhanging cornice, forced the horses to descend 

 into the bottom of the glen, while we kept along the 

 line of the intended carriage-road. The snow was just 

 melting off the turf, and the flowers were exceedingly 

 beautiful. We were pleased to find the homely cowslips 

 and primroses, mixing with gentians and other alpine 

 plants ; but the newest sight to us was the mass of snow- 

 drops which whitened the ground, in many places proving 

 their claim to their French name oi i:>erce-neige, by pushing 

 their green leaves and clustered blossoms through the still 

 unmelted snowdrifts. 



We saw beneath us a large troop of natives, who had 

 crossed the pass in an opposite direction, and were making 

 their midday halt. The ridge was now in view, and over 



