114 
TIFLIS. 
But, to return to our day’s march. 
As we followed the further progress of the Kur, the mountains 
gradually lost both their rocks and forest-scenery, presenting 
immense heights covered with beautiful verdure. The course of 
three or four wersts brought us to a fine level expanse of country, 
in high cultivation, and traversed by a thousand sparkling rivu¬ 
lets from the hills on the western side of the plain. The river 
also added its waters to the refreshing beauties of the view. 
Our eyes turned, with a sense of repose, from the rugged wilds 
they had so long been contemplating, to the soft green which 
covered these noble hills ; but ere we had pursued our way, for 
quite ten wersts, over the luxuriant plain they bordered, we 
perceived the opening of a narrow, rocky valley. The river 
entered it, between two bold ranges of the mountains; and, at 
the extremity of the defile, we saw the capital of Georgia, the 
many towers of Tiflis, rising on the, then, precipitous and again 
sublime banks of the Kur. But the effect produced here, is of 
a deeper tinge. The town itself, stands at the foot of a line of 
dark and barren hills, whose high and caverned sides gloomily 
overshadow it. Every house, every building within its walls, 
seems to share the dismal hue of the surrounding heights ; for a 
deep blackness, rests on all. The hoary battlements above, and 
the still majestic towers of the ancient citadel; the spires of 
Christian churches, and other marks of European residents ; 
even their testimonies of past grandeur, and present conse¬ 
quence ; and, what is more, present Christian brotherhood; could 
not, for some time, erase the horrible dungeon-impression of 
Asiatic dirt and barbarism, received at first view of the town. 
On crossing a small stone bridge, we reached the guard-house of 
a quarantine, about three wersts from Tiflis; but, on delivering 
