76 
VIEWS OF CAUCASUS. 
upon the interior ice, which former thaws have insinuated into 
the fissures of the mountains. At the season of the year when 
the sun’s power is greatest, the snow melts into floods, and 
penetrating still deeper into the clefts of the rocks, loosens those 
which project, from their grasp of the mountain, and sends 
them rolling down into the glen, sweeping all before them, 
with a noise like thunder; but so much louder, as to convulse 
the air to a degree that shakes the foundation of the neighbour 
cliffs, and, unriveting others, launches them also, to augment 
the scattered wreck below. Owing to similar accidents, the 
road was often obliged to wind round the obstructing masses; 
or when that could not be done, from the nearness of the pre¬ 
cipice, it went over them ; the ascents and descents being of 
course particularly steep and hazardous. In crossing one of 
these, the bolt which unites the front wheels of my caleche with 
its carriage, broke. The dilemma was great, on account of the 
loss of time that would be incurred in restoring the machine to 
a moveable state, and afterwards (until we could reach a place 
where it might be properly repaired,) keeping pace with its 
crippled movements. The village of Kasibeck, a distance of 
six wersts, was the point we had in view. And by the aid of 
ropes, good contrivance, and the good-natured alacrity of some 
of the escort, who literally put their shoulders to the wheel, 
it and ourselves arrived without further mishap, at the desired 
halting place, about two o’clock P. M. 
The vale now began to open, presenting a prodigiously fine 
scene ; an infinity of mountains, of every shape and aerial colour 
rising one above the other, and crowned with the pale head of 
the towering Kasibeck. The height of this mountain, which 
contests the palm of sublimity with Elborus, has been estimated 
