PASSES FROM ARMENIA INTO PONTUS. 
- 675 
the impotent wrath of Ahmed Aga. Indeed their whole de¬ 
meanour made me strongly suspect, that they had at command 
not only the protectors, but plunderers of the passes we were to 
dare next morning; and that exaction for the seeming guard, 
was one way of trying the value of any opportune victim. Our 
journey of this day is said to be nine hours from Arzeroom ; but 
the real distance between that city, and our ruffianly menzil, is 
about thirty miles, and we reached it at half-past three o’clock. 
November 10th. — Left Ash-kala at six o’clock this morning, 
with our slender escort, although it is asserted that the day’s 
march is over the most dangerous ground lying between Tokat 
and the Persian frontier. The road wound along a narrow 
valley, intersected by occasional openings from the hills on each 
side. The Kara-sou takes its meandering course by our path ; 
sometimes conducting us amongst abrupt rocky heights, at 
others through low and intricate thickets, and often by large 
detached masses of cliff backed with bushes ; all being apt places 
for the sortie of a lurking banditti. The natives of the villages 
about, call these anticipated depredators, “ Courds from the 
mountains near the lake Van !” But, as I observed before, we 
need not travel far amongst these passes, to be well aware that 
in this instance those bold robbers are slandered by more cun¬ 
ning thieves. At about seventeen miles from our last menzil, 
we reached the khaun of Shoo-ghain, built by Sultan Murad at 
the commencement of the most formidable part of the road; some 
note of its dangers, appearing in the shape of about twenty tombs, 
raised some yards from the gate of the khaun; and which cover 
the remains of as many persons killed, or who died of their 
wounds received in a recent affair with the free-booters. Our 
way lay S. 80° W.; and having breathed our animals, refreshed 
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