SNOW-WORMS. 
845 
snow, and if the old inhabitants may be believed, this great congealed 
mass has visibly increased since they first knew it. One of the great 
features of this mountain is the immense chasm that extends nearly 
half way down it, and is very visible from Erivan, and all its sur¬ 
rounding territory. A large mound of earth apparently foreign to the 
original and natural conformation of the mountain, is to be seen in the 
vicinity of the chasm, in the deepest recess of which is a mass of 
ice, whose dimensions, according to the natives, may be compared to 
those of an immense house, or tower. It has evidently fallen from a 
cliff, discernable at a great distance, which impends very consider¬ 
ably over the chasm. The Armenians who watch the progress of the 
accumulating ice on this cliff, expect that another mass of equal di¬ 
mensions to the former, will shortly separate itself from the mountain, 
and be precipitated into the abyss. Experience has taught them that 
this fall takes place after a lapse of twenty years ; and some credit is 
due to their testimony, for they look upon Ararat as a most sacred spot, 
and consequently are frequent and regular in their observations of it. 
The mass of ice that is now seen in the chasm, has fallen in such a 
situation that it only receives the heat of the sun upon its surface for 
about two hours during the day, which is just sufficient to dissolve so 
much of it as to produce a fresh congelation as soon as it is again 
immersed in shade. 
The snow-worms, so confidently mentioned by Strabo as existing 
in the Caucasus (lib. xi.), and as generally believed by the Persians and 
Armenians to exist at the present day in the snows of Ararat, ap¬ 
pears to be fabulous. We repeatedly offered rewards to those who 
would bring us one, but never succeeded. The Persians represent 
them as a small white worm, so excessively cold that one will effec¬ 
tually cool a large bowl of sherbet. In the month of August, on ap¬ 
proaching towards the top of Ararat, and even at the village of Akh- 
ora, the noise of the cracking ice is said to be heard during the 
hottest part of the day, which is from the hours of two to four. 
When near the snow the sound is described as most awful, but those 
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