48 
THE VALLEY OF THIEVES. 
college, their efforts in spreading religious instruction amongst 
the infidel mountaineers having hitherto failed of success ; the 
few whom they have converted to Christianity, being generally 
murdered by their countrymen, as soon as they fell into their 
hands. To protect the colony itself from the plundering infidels, 
a certain number of Russian troops are always stationed there. 
Having crossed the river Podrouma from Georgewesk, the 
plain still extended itself before me, with the exception of a very 
deep ravine, or rather hollow, up and down which lay the road. 
The descent and ascent were steep and difficult; quantities of 
low impeding brush-wood covering the face of its slopes. The 
spot had always been known as a favourite haunt of banditti; 
and from the frequency of its scenes of robbery and assassination, 
it is commonly called the Valley of Thieves. The governor of 
Georgewesk had added to my own Cossack escort four more 
men ; and as I had been warned of the probability of an attack, 
even in broad day in this place of ambush, I set my whole 
party on the alert; but we passed through it without any signs 
of molestation. At certain distances on the vast plain which 
extends to the foot of Caucasus, and along its seemingly inter¬ 
minable chain, guards of Cossacks are stationed. Each body 
consists of from four to six men, who watch alternately day and 
night. The picture they present to the passing traveller, is 
both curious and romantic; harmonising in every way with the 
wild regions they are sent to protect. A small hovel is con¬ 
structed with reeds and branches of trees, close to which is 
raised a kind of stage, but of no larger dimensions than to con¬ 
tain a single person. It is elevated about twelve feet from the 
ground ; and while his comrades repose in the hut, a Cossack 
sentinel stands here, day and night, on the look-out; and when 
