172 FORESTS. 



soon as it should have become sufficiently swollen 

 after the melting of the snows. Although the 

 trees are large and fine, fitted for masts and 

 building-timber, the people cut them into short 

 lengths of from ten to fifteen feet. The ex- 

 tensive forest of Karditch would be highly valu- 

 able if attended to ; as it is, it annually supplies 

 Alexandria with a large part of the timber used 

 in that city. 



"About an hour after crossing the bridge, we 

 arrived at some ancient terraces about half way 

 up the mountain. Some of them were culti- 

 vated, and I was in hopes we had reached Kose- 

 tchek, as it was now after sunset, and darkness 

 fast settling over the valley. We found, how- 

 ever, on riding up to three Turkoman tents which 

 were pitched upon one of the terraces, that the 

 village was still two hours distant, so we re- 

 quested a night's lodging here ; and after a little 

 eloquence from Nicolo upon the impossibility of 

 proceeding further at so late an hour, and the 

 necessity of being hospitable to distressed tra- 

 vellers, one of the Turks offered us a low shed 

 about half-a-dozen yards from the tent which 

 he and his family were living in. I gladly ac- 

 cepted the hovel, though it did not promise 



