390 PATIGOESK. 



we had parted at Kazbek posthouse ; we were still more 

 surprised to see with him Prince Ismail of Uruspieh, whose 

 talents as a musician make his assistance valuable in the 

 concerts which often take place here. We failed to dis- 

 cover precisely on what footing he stood with the Russian 

 officers, but the impression left on our minds was, that 

 the invitation he received amounted to a command, and 

 that the Prince met with little superfluous courtesy from 

 the habitues of the baths, to whose amusement he was 

 invited to contribute. 



The little stream which flows through the bottom of the 

 glen is liable to sudden floods, and, despite the enbankments 

 by Avliich it is restrained, had lately broken loose, and 

 done considerable damage. We were shown over a botani- 

 cal garden, where the gardener cut and presented to us a 

 beautiful bouquet of flowers. The walks through the 

 woods extend, on either bank of the stream, for at least a 

 mile above the hotel ; they are nicely kept, and deliciously 

 cool in hot weather. For those who do not require sulphur- 

 baths, I have no doubt that Kislovodsk is a far more 

 enjoyable summer retreat than Patigorsk. 



We had heard at Patigorsk that General Loris-Melikov, 

 the military governor of Cis-Caucasia, was staying at 

 Kislovodsk, and we were anxious to call on him, to obtain 

 such aid and advice as he could give in carrying out our 

 plans for the next fortnight. In one of the detached 

 cottage villas, built for the accommodation of visitors (as 

 the ' Hotel de la Couronne,' in fact nothing more than a 

 handsome restaurant, contains no bedrooms) we found the 

 General. An Armenian by birth, he is one of the numer- 

 ous instances of the success attained in foreign service by 

 that clever nation, which, like the Greek, seems capable of 

 doing well everywhere except at home. We were received 

 very courteously, my maps were soon spread out, and we 



