346 
WILD ANIMALS. 
who have witnessed the fall of a large mass of ice from the cliff into the 
chasm, declare that nothing can equal the concussion. 
“ Treman le spaziose atre caverne 
E’ Taer cieco a quel rumor rimbomba.” 
The sign of the greatest heat is when the snow has entirely left the 
summit of Little Ararat. When encamped on the heights of Aberan 
we watched its daily diminution, until it completely vanished. At 
this period the cultivators of melons cut their fruit, and in general 
the snows of Ararat are used by the agriculturists of Erivan as a ca¬ 
lendar, by which they regulate the sowing, planting, and reaping of 
their fields. The Eelauts also are guided in their motions by the ope¬ 
rations of the weather on this mountain, keeping to their Yelaksy or 
descending from them according to the falls of snow. 
The soil of this great mountain appears to be one immense heap 
of stones, confusedly thrown together, unenlivened by vegetation. 
Here and there indeed are a few plants ; but Tournefort’s circum¬ 
stantial relation will show how scanty are the gleanings of the bota¬ 
nist. In many parts of the Little Ararat are tracts of a very soft 
stone, and in 'others a species of vitrification. Lava is also to be seen, 
but the soil which most frequently intervenes between the rocks is a 
deep sand. 
The wild animals that inhabit this region are bears, small tygers, 
lynxes and lions. Perhaps the most dangerous are the serpents, 
some of which, of a large size, are venomous in the highest de¬ 
gree. They are reputed so fierce as to attack passengers. When 
we resided in the vicinity of Ararat, a tale was prevalent that a 
dragon had got possession of the road which leads between the small 
and greater mountain to Bayazid, and, like the serpent of Begulus, 
had impeded the passage of the caravans. This proved to be one of 
the large snakes. The base of Ararat on the banks of the Araxes, 
is girded by extensive swamps, in which are great quantities of wild 
