386 PATIGORSK. 



but despite, or rather perhaps because of, their dissipated 

 hours, they look as sick and miserable a collection of men 

 as one often sees. Their days are spent in drinking the 

 waters and taking baths, or dawdling about the gardens 

 smoking cigarettes, and listening to the strains of military 

 music. At the time of our visit the ' Mabel Waltz ' was the 

 latest musical novelty in the Caucasus, and seemed to be 

 very popular. The attractions of the town are not great ; 

 it consists, besides the boulevard and the villas on the 

 hillside above it, of one long straggling street, and a shop- 

 quarter put down on a dusty slope, with half-finished 

 arcades ending in bare open spaces, after the untidy 

 fashion common in Eussia. 



We occupied our time in roaming about the bazaar, 

 and laying in stores for another week in the mountains, 

 and occasionally went into the fruit-market to buy one of 

 the huge water-melons which form the staple article of 

 food of the people of the country. The discovery of a 

 photographer afforded us some amusement, as the enter- 

 prising artist had been as far as Uruspieh, and had taken 

 stereoscopic views on the road, many of which we were 

 glad to purchase. On the whole, the attractions of 

 Patigorsk, to a passing traveller, are quickly exhausted; 

 but our stay was rendered exceptionally pleasant by the 

 kindness of Dr. Smirnov, the resident physician in charge 

 of the bathing establishments, who bears the, to English 

 ears, odd-sounding title of civil- general. On our calling 

 at his house. Dr. Smirnov told us that he had already 

 heard from St. Petersburg of our probable visit, and had 

 expected us for some weeks. 



To the bathers Patigorsk is, I fear, sometimes slow, and 

 the Government will scarcely succeed in their desu-e to at- 

 tract hither any large portion of the crowd of Russians who 

 annually visit the German Spas, until it possesses not only 



