462 RETURN TO TIFLTS. 



the native dialects to act as interpreter. A knowleclge of 

 cooking, sucli as our man possessed, is a great additional 

 recommendation. A light tent and a cooking apparatus 

 are essentials, as well as the usual requisites for travel in 

 uncivilised countries, which I need not catalogue here. 

 The difficulties of mountaineering inherent to such a 

 country as the Caucasus are obvious. The peaks are, gene- 

 rally speaking, extremely formidable; the natives, except 

 at Uruspieh, are useless above the snow-level, and it is 

 often impossible to leave luggage at the mercy of villagers 

 while making an ascent. The climate is changeable, and 

 the rainfall, owing to the position of the chain between two 

 seas, is frequently excessive. Thus the impediments to a 

 mountain tour are very serious, though not, in my opinion, 

 sufficient to counterbalance the advantage and pleasure 

 to be derived from a journey in a country surpassing, both 

 in freshness, grandeur of natural scenery, and ethnological 

 interest, any other so accessible to English travellers. 



The expedition will, of course, differ much from 

 a run to the Oberland or Zermatt, and it should be 

 undertaken only by men prepared to face daily-recurring 

 difficulties with good temper and perseverance. A party 

 of five or six, accompanied by not less than two 

 firstrate guides, of which two of the members have 

 botanical or artistic tastes, and would be content to 

 remain below, or to cross a lower ridge with the luggage, 

 while their friends attacked ' peaks, passes, and glaciers,* 

 would have the best chance of success ; if favoured with 

 fine weather, and with the help of a Cossack in all 

 dealings with the villagers, they might effect a great deal. 



Before bidding farewell to the Caucasus, I must remove 

 any impression the previous pages may have given that 

 either Kazbek or Elbruz are in themselves difficult moun- 

 tains. First ascents are proverbially the hardest. On 



