SERVICES OE TWO RUSSIAN MOUNTAIN BATTERIES. 
125 
The remainder were eifcher entangled in rear, or assisting in the trans¬ 
port of the Horse Artillery, which was experiencing enormous 
difficulties, in their march from Parovtchi. The ordinary gun teams 
were supplemented by yokes of oxen and strong detachments of men, 
whilst the pioneers under Rauch, who had two days previously made 
strenuous endeavours to make the road passable for guns in draught, 
redoubled their energies to improve the path. Two guns with their 
teams fell down the precipice, but were recovered in the most creditable 
manner and hauled up on to the track. The batteries were, however, 
unable to debouch into the Valley of the Tundja on the southern side 
of the range for a day and a half later than the force previously men¬ 
tioned, and to whose movements we now return. At 2 a.m. on the 
14th the Mountain Batteries, with the infantry and four squadrons, 
continued their march, aud at about 10 a.m. the little Turkish gar¬ 
rison of Hainkioi, consisting of 800 Regulars and some Tcherkesses, 
were completely surprised, and the little village at the mouth of the 
Pass captured. The enemy retreated to the left, to the village of 
Tvarditza at the mouth of the Elena Pass, where, uniting with the 
garrison of that place, they returned in the afternoon to the attack, 
but were routed by the force pursuing them, consisting of three 
battalions of Rifles, four squadrons, and the two Mountain Batteries, 
which followed them towards Slivno till nightfall, when, with the 
exception of one-and-a-half battalions and two guns told off to hold a 
position covering the main body from surprise from a possible attack 
from Slivno, the force returned to the main body at Hainkioi for the 
night. 
On the 15th Gourko remained at Hainkioi awaiting the arrival of 
his Horse Artillery from the defile. It marched in in the evening, and 
on the following morning, after leaving four battalions, six squadrons, 
and the Mountain Batteries at Hainkioi to hold the Pass and position, 
the remainder started for Kazanlyk, a distance of 20 miles. Engaged 
half-way, Gourko was unable to occupy this place the same night, and 
on the following morning, after its capture, his infantry was so fatigued 
that he was unable to push on the additional eight miles to the mouth 
of the Shipka the same day. 
The attack was, however, made from the north, but utterly failed. 
Gourko determined to attack on the following morning, the 18th, the 
Turkish position on the Hill of Mount St. Nicholas, sending word to 
Mirsky he was so doing. The Shipka is not strictly speaking a Pass, 
as there is no gorge or defile, but a road which passes through a section 
of the Khodja-Balkans at less elevation than the remainder of the 
range. Although practicable for baggage on wheels, it is used 
habitually by pack animals or rough country carts. The road from 
Gabrova on the northern side of the range to Shipka village on the 
southern side is 16 miles in length. The elevation of Gabrova is 
about 1600 feet; the main Pass is 4600 feet; while the village of 
Shipka is about 1800 feet. The ascent takes usually four-and-a-half 
hours, and the descent one-and-a-half hours. The southern slope is 
the steepest, 40°, whilst the zigzag descent to Shipka is not less than 
20°. The most elevated peak, Mount St. Nicholas, is 4800 feet eleva- 
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