344 FROM TARI TO PATIGORSK. 



Jidy 26th. — The weather had changed during the night, 

 clouds were creeping up from the south, and the morning 

 promised to grow worse rather than better. Pain and 

 constant sictness had driven away sleep, and I felt much 

 more fit to lie in bed than to cross a pass ; but it was ab- 

 solutely impossible to remain where we were, and the idea 

 of returning to Pari, now a long day's walk in the rear, 

 was insupportable, besides offering few advantages over 

 the only alternative course — that of reaching the watershed 

 before bad weather came on. We therefore started, and 

 although at first I could scarcely crawl along, even with 

 Lhe help of Tucker and Francois, necessity proved a won- 

 derful spur ; my strength gradually returned, and each step 

 gained towards the top of. the pass was an encouragement 

 to further progress. 



Above our bivouac the head of the valley was paved 

 with snow ; the surface had not frozen in the night, and 

 its softness added considerably to my troubles. In an 

 hour's time we reached the point where the glen is 

 quitted, and the traveller desirous to cross the chain must 

 climb the steep banks of grass on his right. These lead 

 him to the edge of a considerable snowfield, which fills a 

 recess in the rocky ridges on the southern side of the pass. 

 The gap in the crest before us was marked by two stone- 

 men, and we had a further guide in the deep trail of the 

 cattle that had passed the previous afternoon. The clouds 

 now swept up round us, the wind howled dismally, and, as 

 we drew near the top, heavy snow began to fall. The 

 change in the weather was a great disappointment, for we 

 had been looking forward, ever since leaving Pari, to the 

 view of Elbruz during the descent, and all hopes of seeing 

 it were now at an end. 



When we reached the top, there was nothing for it but 

 to sit down with our backs to the snowstorm, and munch 



