438 KETURN TO TIFLIS. 



should never escape from floods. The damage had been 

 done in the second stage out of Vladikaflvaz, and as a 

 company of soldiers were said to be at work in making the 

 road passable for carriages, we had nothing to do but 

 wait till news came of the completion of their task, 

 before which time the postmaster refused to send out any 

 vehicle. 



At first it seemed as if we should be obliged to renew 

 our acquaintance with ' telegas,' but our perseverance was 

 rewarded by the completion of an arrangement for the 

 hire of one of the small ' diligences,' which are a peculiarity 

 of the Russian postal system. These solidly- built and 

 heavy conveyances, which require four or six horses to draw 

 them, according to the nature of the road, contain, notwith- 

 standing their size, only five passengers, besides the driver 

 and the conductor who are attached to each. The inside 

 holds two, or three on a pinch, and there are seats for 

 three more, on what, though slightly different, may be 

 called the banquette. They are fitted up for long journeys, 

 and it is possible to sleep very comfortably inside, as a 

 board lets down from the front, and enables the traveller 

 to lie at length during the night. The presence of the 

 conductor — who, armed with a horn, blows warnings to all 

 lesser traps to get out of the way, wakes up sleepy post- 

 masters, and takes on himself all responsibility in pro- 

 curing horses — is also a great convenience, especially to the 

 foreigner not speaking Russian. On Sunday evening we 

 saw, to our delight, a carriage drive in from Tiflis, and 

 the road being thus conclusively proved to be open, the 

 postmaster promised us horses at an early hour on the 

 following morning. 



August 24i/i. — The weather, which had been cloudy 

 during the two days of our stay at Vladikafkaz, cleared 

 during the night, and on looking out of window, at sun- 



