ROUTE OF LIEUT. SPRATT. 171 



On the 10th the party reassembled at Armoot- 

 lee. 



Mr. Spratt, on leaving the odoor at Karditch, 

 had been guided by the Agha's son to the banks 

 of the Allagheer Tchy, flowing through narrow 

 ravines at the bottom of the valley, impetuous 

 and dangerous to ford. Crossing it, on a steep 

 and barren hill of igneous rock, rising to the 

 height of seven or eight hundred feet above the 

 valley, walls and towers of a middle-age fortress 

 were met with. Passing a mill kept by a Greek, 

 and some Turkish cottages, after a journey of six 

 hours the village of Derehkeuy, inhabited by 

 woodcutters, was reached. Near this place no 

 ruins were heard of. 



" After a short rest we proceeded to Kosetchah, 

 said to be only three hours distant. Hearing 

 that two Turks had started for the same place 

 only half an hour before, we hastened to over- 

 take them. An hour from Derehkeuy we crossed 

 the torrent by a rude wooden bridge. The road 

 now quits the side of the torrent, and begins 

 to ascend the side of a high ridge, dividing the 

 upper part of the valley into two bridges. Here 

 were quantities of timber, recently felled and 

 barked, ready for launching into the torrent as 



