ASCENT TO THE HIGHLANDS. 241 



of Alexander was on march from the high- 

 lands, had the wall and towers been then in 

 existence, faced as they are towards the moun- 

 tain-passes, they could easily have been de- 

 fended by a small force, and would have war- 

 ranted the unaccountable confidence of the 

 people of Termessus. 



April 30th. — Preparing to start for Stenez, 

 we were delayed by a villainous trick of the 

 guards at the pass, who had carried off two of 

 our horses during the night, and pretended 

 they had been stolen by the Urooks. This 

 was to gain a reward for finding them ; not 

 suspecting the truth, we were taken in, and 

 paid. The horses were eventually found tied 

 up to trees in the woods near our lodging. 

 This caused a delay of five hours : in the midst 

 of pelting rain and without a guide, at length we 

 started. The first part of our journey led through 

 a very narrow, steep, and rocky gorge, a pic- 

 turesque and formidable pass. On the top of 

 a hill commanding it, was a ruined fortress. 

 Emerging from the ravine upon a mountain plain, 

 we crossed the yailah of Samaz, from whence there 

 is a road leading to Tsbarta. An hour and a half 

 from the exit of the pass, we came to the highest 



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