170 
TURKISH FRONTIER. 
large knife. These, with a carabine slung across his shoulders, 
completed his arms. His dress was a mixture of Georgian and 
Turkish; and his horse, which was as wildly and efficiently ca¬ 
parisoned, seemed to possess equal fire with his master. The 
whole of my escort, under his command, were armed in much 
the same way ; and each carried four or five pouches, filled with 
balls, cartridges, &c. The morning being cold, several of them 
were wrapped in their bourkas, which greatly increased the 
savage air of their appearance. At parting from the friendly 
commandant, he told me, that, with these men as my guards, 1 
might consider myself as safe on the other side of the Turkish lines, 
as in the fort of Goumri; they being too well known all over the 
country we were to pass through, to admit of any apprehension 
on our side. I might calculate on their making all fly before them, 
unless opposed by very superior numbers ; and that the officer 
did not think probable in the present case ; for, though both the 
remains of Anni and the neighbouring districts bore a very bad 
reputation, as the haunts of banditti, yet their depredations 
had lately been made in such inconsiderable bodies, they might 
rather be expected to hide themselves from our sight, than to 
rush out to attack us. 
We set forth. The cold was at 12 degrees of Reaumur ; but the 
animation of my pursuit was, perhaps, a warmer defence than the 
bourkas of my companions ; and riding along the wide valley 
to the south, towards the opposite frontier, kept the chain of 
hills, with their cloud-capped Alleguz, to my left. About five 
wersts onward, we passed the Arpatchai, and so entered the 
Turkish lines. This river rises not far from Kars, and falls into 
the Araxes near Hadjy-baramloo; marking, there, the Persian 
and Turkish frontier to the westward. The boundary once 
