of the Old World. 431 



beautiful scene spread below and around, and I made 

 a futile attempt to sketch it ; but it was labour under 

 difficulties, for the cold became so intense that I 

 could scarcely hold my pencil, and had to jump and 

 caper about every moment in order to prevent my 

 limbs from becoming benumbed. Besides this, the 

 longer the eye dwelt upon the scene the vaster and 

 more magnificent became its gigantic and stately pro- 

 portions ; and again and again I put down my pencil, 

 feeling the impossibility of doing justice to it. At 

 last, after a great trial of patience, I managed to 

 complete a tolerably correct outline, which I filled in 

 with the aid of my glass, endeavouring at the same 

 time to impress the scene so correctly on my mind 

 that not a single important feature should be forgotten. 



Whilst so employed, the rays of the rising sun 

 were just beginning to tinge the summits of the 

 loftiest ranges on the eastern horizon (where our 

 guide pointed out to me Mount .Kazbek towering 

 high above the rest), and by degrees each peak, 

 precipice, and ridge assumed a delicate rose-colour, 

 which deepened every moment until it became tinged 

 with a gorgeous golden tint that gradually paled as 

 the glorious luminary of day ascended in the heavens, 

 when after a short time the virgin snow was again 

 left in its unsullied whiteness. 



No description could convey an idea of the intense 

 grandeur of the scene before us, which displayed a 



