THE GLACIERS OF THE INGUR. 303 



rises in a gigantic wall, supporting two glaciers, the 

 Schkari and the Nuamquam. An hour's walk above the 

 village was sufficient to give us a perfect view of this great 

 mountain ' cirque.' The prospect from a scenic point of 

 view was superb, but offered very little encouragement to 

 a sober-minded mountaineer. Opposite us the range was 

 crowned by a massive rock-peak, and the lines of icefall 

 and prepicice on both sides of it seemed equally inacces- 

 sible. If anyone ever gets over to the north side of the 

 chain from this point, it will be by a route as unpromising 

 at first sight as, and probably more difficult in the passage 

 than, the face of Monte Rosa above Macugnaga ; indeed, 

 the Italian side of Monte Rosa is the only mountain- wall 

 in the Alps on a scale to vie with this part of the Cau- 

 casian chain. Finding the clouds were already covering 

 the summits, and that we should gain nothing by pushing 

 our researches further, we lay down on the turf for some 

 time, and gave ourselves uj) to the enjoyment of the 

 double luxury of fine scenery, and freedom from persecution 

 by inquisitive natives. 



The reflection that we had all our arrangements to 

 make for our journey to Pari, at the further end of the 

 valley, and that our men had better not be left alone 

 with the villagers longer than necessary, somewhat 

 hastened our return. We found Francois, as usual on a 

 rest-day, immersed in the cares of the laundry ; Paul was 

 in a state of just irritation at the proceedings of the people, 

 but had made considerable advances towards an arrange- 

 ment which seemed likely to render our further journey 

 easy. A man had come to him, and offered to provide, by 

 the next morning, two horses to carry our luggage. This 

 worthy's name sounded like Islam, and he recommended 

 himself as the inhabitant of a lower and less barbarous 

 village, as having been for some time in the service of a 



