NALTSCHIK. 397 



tlieir feet, the buildings of Naltschik. As we drew nearer 

 our goal, tlie hitherto barren soil was covered with 

 scrub, and thickets of large dog-roses. The entrance to 

 the town was a record of the old days, when it was 

 exposed to the constant danger of attack from the moun- 

 taineers. The buildings had once been surrounded by a 

 stockade, and the gateway at the entrance to the main 

 street was guarded by a sentry. He enquired at once if 

 we were the English who were expected, and despatched 

 one of his comrades to guide us to the quarters prepared 

 for us. We were taken to a well-built one- stoned house, 

 standing on one side of the open space, in the centre of 

 the town ; our hostess proved to be the widow of a 

 Russian officer, who was glad to let us her front-parlour 

 during our stay. It was a clean and cheerful room, with 

 fairy-roses in the windows, and pictures on the walls ; but 

 there was the common Russian want of creature-comforts, 

 and we could obtain nothing but our own mattrass to 

 lie upon. 



August 11th. — We went off after breakfast to call on 

 the Commandant, who had heard from General Loris- 

 Melikov of our intended visit, and had detained some 

 natives of the Upper Tcherek, with their horses, to accom- 

 pany us on our excursion into the mountains. Our ex- 

 pressions of pleasure and thanks were suddenly cut short 

 by the announcement of the price, five roubles a day 

 (nearly fifteen shillings), we were expected to pay for each 

 horse. As we were to take eight, it was of course out of 

 the question that we should ratify any such arrangement ; 

 but at the moment we were too completely taken by surprise 

 to say much ; and the Commandant turned the subject, by 

 proposing a walk in his garden, and showing us a seat, 

 constructed to command a view of the distant mountains, 

 the snowy summits of which are in clear weather visible 



