330 
CHAPTER XXII, 
I QUITTED the Ambassador at Kara Klisseh; and having passed the 
next day (the 22d) with Colonel Pestel, who, in the absence of General 
Lissanowitch, was commandant of the district, we returned to the pas¬ 
tures of Aberan on the 23d, by taking a short cut over a high range of 
mountains, some parts of which were still covered with snow. 
The Ambassador having taken the greater part of the public servants 
with him to Teflis, I remained encamped at Aberan until their return. 
During the first part of my stay, my tent was pitched near a ruined 
Armenian church, in the vicinity of a river, (the same that flows by 
Ashtarek,) and in the neighbourhood of the Serdar’s artillery-men, who 
kept guard at my tent during night. Some days after my arrival, 
the Serdar came from Erivan, and fixed himself near the foot of the 
mountain of Aligez, whither he invited me to follow him. He first 
paid me a visit, on his return from determining the spot where his 
camp was to be situated; and, according to the fashion of the country, 
brought his own breakfast with him, which consisted of large pots full of 
boiled rice, and some stews of meat ready dressed. When he was well 
settled in his camp, I changed the position of ours, to a pasture about 
half a mile from his; and, excepting a dinner or two which he gave us, 
nothing passed to relieve the wearisome monotony of our pastoral life. 
We became acquainted with Hossein Aga, the chief of a great Courd- 
ish tribe, who with several of his relations frequently visited our camp. 
The countenances of these men were so originally ferocious, being 
blended with caricature, that I endeavoured to sketch the portraits of 
three of the most remarkable. The man with a spear in his hand was 
connected with the Serdar by marriage, and was called OJcous, bull, on 
account of his great strength. 
I must not, however, omit to mention one incident, which is highly 
characteristic of the tastes and amusements of the Persians. The day 
the Serdar visited me, he pointed to the two snowy peaks of Aligez, 
