90 
PROGRESS OF THE CONVOY. 
us the rich valleys of Thuillete, amongst whose luxuriant ver¬ 
dure wind a thousand streams. Their bright and various meanders 
terminate in the bosom of the Aragua, (the Aragus of the 
ancients,) which, with its augmented waters, flows majestically 
south-east, amid the high chains of the Kumlis Zighe mountains 
on the west, and that of the thickly-wooded Gheff and Mogheff 
(Gog and Magog) on the eastward. This Arcadian prospect 
formed a glowing and most inviting contrast to that of the north, 
cold, sterile, and tremendous, where nothing was seen but the 
pale and cloud-wrapped summits of Kasibeck, and its rocky sup¬ 
porters ; which seemed now to frown upon the happy traveller, 
who was about to bid adieu to such unhospitable, though 
sublime regions. 
We commenced our descent. The road was by far the steepest 
we had yet passed. The wheels of every carriage were locked ; 
and, besides this precaution, ten or twelve soldiers were obliged 
to exert their personal strength, in holding each vehicle back 
with ropes, to prevent its pressing upon the horses, who could 
scarcely keep themselves from sliding the whole way down, upon 
their hinder legs. This difficulty being conquered, another pre¬ 
sented itself of still more formidable magnitude. We were to 
re-ascend again, and over a mountain called the Good Gara. It 
had no snow on its surface, to betray the unwary foot into clefts 
or pitfalls ; but the peculiar form of Good Gara rendered its 
passage tenfold more horrible than any we had yet beheld. We 
stood a few minutes gazing on it, with no small astonishment; 
for, on turning our backs on the winter-side of these immense 
barrier mountains, I had erroneously imagined, that, on reaching 
the holy cross at the top of Kristawaja, we had surmounted all 
our alpine difficulties. But we soon found that travellers 
