The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-02


almost instantly in darkness, the twilight Is in
these ATTITUDES Of very short duration. We pushed
on to
or the post station, rather. However when we ar.
rived about ten O'Clock at night and found that the
town was about two miles distant TO be reached
only by very bad road, and that very probably
should find no hotel there did we succeed In ind
Ing the place, we therefore determined TO stay &C
the station where we WERE and Prince Daig0ruky
set about seeing what could be procured the way
OF supper. He found, after an immense deal OF dis
cusson, that soup was to be had Tor three persons,
beesteaks for four, and eggs 10 an unlimited ex-
tent all OF which he ordered to be got ready In tho
shortest possible time.
A CAUCASIAN SUPPER.
II was an hour before we sat down 20 the tailc,
however, for the beefsteaks had To be cooked one
at time, probably, the cooking arrangements being
on very small SCALE and "a we had eaten nothing
since our lunch In the valley the other side OF
the mountains early in the day, stomachs had
grown exceedingly importunate before we were In
a condition to satisfy their CLAIMS aud II was with
voracious appetites that We gathered around
that festive board board; awaiting ing the appearance
us. They came at last, and we divided
equally the three portions or soup and the four
beefsteaks, which were excellent, the only obiec
ton to them being that they were something
small, and afterwards ordered IN the third course,
which was eggs as was likewise the fourth, aith,
sixth and seventh Most OF the party stopped 40
the sixth, but Grant went bravely on 10 the
seventh, then to the eighth, and concluded the
ninth, witch he called dessert, and which
was likewise composed OF eggs having
eaten, l am confident dozen and
a half II he ate one, much to the
disgust OF Colonel Audenried, who being somewhat
gh-toned,n looked upon the whole proceeding
with contemptuous smile, which he did not try To
conceal. Candor cOmpels me to state. however,
that one other member OF the party, whom modesty
fOrbds me to mention, almost equalied Fired" In
this epcurcan feat and that they both became the
object OF much singing sarcasm and many fine
pointed witticisms on the part OF the rest OF tho
company, which they bore with becoming equanlm-
ity, not allowing 1t, as far as l could observe. to
materially affect their appetites.
A NIGHT IN HAY.
1t was midnight when Wo had finished supper,
and IA we were pretty tired from having been con-
tinualB in motion since four O'Clock in the morn
ing the question OF getting the utmost possible
time allotted to US by the General-became an
absorbing one Prince Dalgoruky ordered guam
tity or hay to be brought into the waiting room,
where we had supped, upon which we threw our
selves Unfortunately, without the slightest re-
gard to rank, none seeming to enjoy. the situation
better than General Sherman himself probably be-
cause it reminded him of some OF his campaigns.
AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
We were up at four O'Clock, al having slept re-
makably well, except Grant, who said the snoring
Of Colonel Audenried had kept him awake all night.
at was rather the dozen and half of eggs you ate
that kept you awake" retorted the Colonel, with
humor. mo, Colonel, eggs never snore," replied
Fred, with benevolent and exasperating smile,
his principal shield against the COlonels venomous
shafts OF irony or sarcasm, as against the
other evils to which flesh is heir to in
this vale Of tears. erred" never loses his tenn
per, and tins calm, imperturbable good nature will
always insure him friends wherever he may be-
We were soon en- route again. in the same order as
before Our road lay through dry, arid, barren
looking country, somewhat broken and uneven,
and showing very few signs Of cultivation or habi-
tation, except such as might be observed at
post stations or inferred from an occasional lean
looking shepherd boy, here and there, tending
equally lean-lookng sheep, that must have been
exceedingly sharp-sghted If they ever found any
thing green upon which to feed. There was
scarcely tree visible In any direction, and the
few we saw were stunted and dwarfed and
dropping as though pining away and repenting
of ever having emigrated to this inhospltabe
country. There were rocks and stones In plenty,
however, and as we approached the river high
bluffs and cliffs, still bare OF trees or verdure, the
faces of which were often hOneycombed with holes,
which ages ago served first as dwellings and then
as graves to the wild people who inhabited them.
How they ever got into their houses without the
OF WINGS cut out as they appeared to be, In the
face of the solid rock sometimes two or three hun
dred feet above the plain, is problem did not put
myself to the trouble OF solving.
The country preserved these characteristics until
we reached Tiflis which Is situated on the kur and
surrounded by HIGH sandy, arid hills, unreeved by
a single green tree scarcely sign Of vegeta-
ton.
We had an excellent road the last stage, and
giving little of the backsheeshn to our drivers,
they drove the whole distance at mad gallOp,
making the whole fifteen miles in just an hour and
getting into THIS about noon the day after leaving
Kutaia