688 
KARA HISSAR. 
the copious stream of the impetuous Ovadmish-Chai. On one 
of the most conspicuous of the black insulated cliffs, we saw the 
fortress of Kara-Hissar. It overlooked the little town where we 
were to change our horses. In our approach, we crossed the 
river by a stone bridge of two arches supported with buttresses 
of the solid rock; and thence proceeded through fields and 
gardens, avenues of poplars, and groves of fruit-trees, the luxu¬ 
riant autumnal tints of which rendered the gloomy tone of the 
circumjacent scenery more impressive. In our progress we gra¬ 
dually ascended the wide bosom of the vale, towards the north¬ 
west, where we passed the village of Tamzar, that being also 
the name of this sable chain of mountains; and in drawing 
nearer to Kara-Hissar, several well-built houses embellished the 
road. At half-past two o’clock we reached the town, it being 
called sixteen hours from Shayran, but I should say it does not 
exceed thirty-six miles. 
The position of the fortress seems inaccessible, the rock on 
which it stands resembling that of the castle of Edinburgh, and 
nearly twice as high. It spreads entirely over the summit, but 
the most formidable number of its towers appear on the northern 
point. Beneath the western brow, and just on the slope of the 
rock where the declivity is less abrupt than on the other sides, 
the greatest part of the town is built. The houses are mostly of 
two stories, and stand in ranges one over the other. Two 
mosques, and one minaret, rise amongst them ; the whole pre¬ 
senting a promise of internal comfort little likely to be verified 
within the walls. Four hundred families number their popula¬ 
tion ; fifty of whom are Christian. The post-house was good, 
and the people civil; and I had the refreshment of a little 
wheaten pillau, not having eaten any thing but some small 
