PASSES FROM ARMENIA. 
677 
that way; who, picking them up, brought them in a cart to 
Ash-kala, where they remained nearly two months before they 
were recovered from their wounds. Most of these affrays take 
place in the night; which is one reason for my suspecting some 
of the neighbouring villagers to be too generally the chief actors 
in the scene; and a second observation made to me, namely, 
that if a Tatar be the object of plunder, he almost invariably 
loses his life also, appears a corroborating proof of their guilt; 
he being too well acquainted with the persons of most of them, 
to be allowed to live, to tell the story of who are really the 
marauders of this pass. Day was with us, and we went gradu¬ 
ally on, without any thing occurring to occasion any actual alarm ; 
though, I believe, most of us felt a sort of suspensive pause of 
mind while advancing to any particularly well-adapted spot for 
ambuscade, lest it might be destined to add some of our party 
to the silent heaps around. The common method of attack, 
whether by night or by day, is for an ambush to fire from above, 
while small parties rush out from the ravines of the hills, with 
an advantage over travellers so surprised that may readily be 
guessed. Under these apprehensions, we moved on as quickly 
as the difficulties of the road would allow for two hours more; 
at the end of which time we arrived at the last path of avowed 
terrors, namely, a tremendous chasm, or zig-zag crack, running 
through the heart of the hills, which was aptly called The Devil's 
Valley , and we found it a most perilous and slippery road for 
our horses. This pass achieved, all our danger for the day was 
over; and at the moment of issuing forth, my two Tatars 
hallooed, and fired their pistols in great triumph. He could 
not be a Christian who did not feel thanksgiving to a Higher 
Power. 
