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DESCRIPTION OF ARARAT. 
of an animal. They then with a hand net prowl about the fields, 
and the quail seeing a form, more like a beast than a man, permits it 
to approach so near as to allow the hunter to throw his net over it. 
The rapidity with which the Persians caught quails in this manner 
was astonishing, and we had daily brought to us cages full of them, 
which we bought for a trifle. In one of my rambles with a gun, I 
met a shepherd boy, who laughing at the few birds I had killed, 
immediately erected his horns, and soon caught more alive than I had 
killed. 
During the long time that we were in the neighbourhood of Mount 
Ararat, although we made frequent plans for attempting to ascend 
it, yet we were always impeded by some reason or other. We were 
encamped before it at the very best season for such an undertaking, 
namely, during the month of August, and saw it at the time that it 
has the least snow upon it. 
The impossibility of reaching its extreme summit, even on the side 
where it is apparently most easy of access, was decided (so we were 
assured) some years ago by the Pasha of Bayazid. He departed from that 
city with a large party of horsemen, at the most favourable season, and 
ascended the mountain on the Bayazid side as high as he could on horse¬ 
back. He caused three stations to be marked out on the ascent, 
where he built huts and collected provisions. The third station was 
the snow. He had no difficulty in crossing the region of snow, but 
when he came to the great cap of ice that covers the top of the cone, 
he could proceed no farther, because several of his men were there 
seized with violent oppressions of the chest from the great rarefaction 
of the air. He had before offered large rewards to any one who should 
reach the top, but although many Gourds who live at its base have at¬ 
tempted it, all have been equally unsuccessful. Besides the great 
rarefaction of the air, his men had to contend with dangers of the 
falling ice, large pieces of which were constantly detaching themselves 
from the main body and rolling down. During the summer, the cap 
of ice on its summit is seen to shine with a glow quite distinct from 
