DELUSIONS DISPELLED. 447 



western as Elbruz. In fact, we were led to believe that 

 the architecture of the mountain region bore some resem- 

 blance to that of the Exhibition Building of 1862, and 

 that for beauty of outline it could no more be compared to 

 the Alps than could the Brompton shed to a Gothic 

 cathedral. 



The first ray of light that dawned upon our minds was 

 the information we gained from Mr. Gifford Palgrave, 

 who had been twice to the base of Elbruz, and discoursed 

 with enthusiasm of the granite peaks and foaming torrents 

 he had seen on the way. When we reached Batoum, and 

 for the first time saw the mountains with our own eyes, 

 our rising hopes were converted into certainty. The 

 serrated array of rocky teeth and icy cones which stretched 

 along the northern horizon, convmced us, at once, that 

 climbing sufficient to satisfy the greediest mountaineering- 

 appetite would be found there, and the way in which ridge 

 behind ridge rose u^) to the snowy chain disposed for 

 ever of the plateau theory, and satisfied us that many 

 landscapes of exquisite beauty must be hid within the 

 folds of the mountains. 



Our journey from Kutais to Tiflis did not add much to 

 this knowledge, nor did we gain any practical information 

 from our intercourse with Russian officials, whom we 

 found, with the exception of General Chodzko and a 

 few others, entirely unacquainted with the nature of 

 the mountain districts west of Kazbek. The German 

 savants resident at Tiflis, and in the emjploy of the 

 Government, were far better informed. Herr Radde had 

 visited the upper valleys of Mingrelia, and had him- 

 self attempted to ascend Elbruz. Herr Abich had exa- 

 mined both summits Avith the accurate eye of a man of 

 science, and gave us hmts which we afterwards turned to 

 good account. The purchase of the Five Ver*t Map 



