The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-02

0ahAn, had advised me, n possible, to secure tho
services Of Alexander Alamntsett os our guile
from Tifis to vladikavkaz. and we wcro fortunate
enough TO find him disongagod. Ho 10 q giant,
dark, evidently n Georgian. dressed In Cau-
casian costume, and speaking only his ma
two language and Russian: and whom my
statement that I had asked for him on the advice
OF Mrs. MncGuhan, was translated to him. n smile
spread over his features ne ho said, "oh, ycs; /
remember hcr with pleasure, and shall be do
lighted 20 be of service to any friend Of hors."
The next morning of 0 o'clock we started with
q bright sunshine, though the mountains In
tho distance woro still covered with clouds
which made thom invisible. Our six horses
seemed at first rather light for SO heavy u cargo.
but the pace ut which wo set out was livoly. We
had scarcely got out of tho city when wo over
took two or throo trains of carts, and when they
Gid not get out Of the way rapidly enough,
Mnmatsctt would take tho big whip from tho
hand of our coachman and lay It over tho
shoulders Of tho delaying cartmcn. Tho first one
ho struck turned In q rage. but tho moment no
saw who It was his anger seemed to disappear,
and he took his ~fioGging with meekncss and
almost with an expression Of satisfaction.
About fifteen miles from Tlnis 70 came upon
tho old town of Mtskhot. formerly ono Of tho
capitals Of Georgia, a place of very curious In
tercst, bearing al tho marks OF extreme an
tiquity. Tho cathedral Is described as built
In the fourth century, and q number of tho
Bagratide kings arc said to DO buried there.
Tanorlano destroyed 1t ut tho end Of tho ff-
teenth century, but It Yves rebuilt q hundred
years or SO later. A striking feature OF Mtskhet.
rs of othor important Georgian towns, Is n grent
number Of ancient towers rising to q height Of
sixty or eighty feet, belonging apparently to
different antique strongholds, and scattered all
about tho heights and hillsldes as II to look out
for some approaching foe. As wo did not belong
to that category, we drove of with some regret
at our inability to stay long enough to explore,
at least, the cathedral and the royal tombs.
During tho rest of the day We passed many
cultivated farms, oil on elevations consid-
crably above the road, where tho farmers
were busy %ploughing small fields. or making
their earliest crop Of hay; and they were good
farmers. too. Judging by the n%eatncss with which
their work was done. AS the afternoon wore on,
we came into a land where the grass in tho
valleys was very lovely; where tho forests were
made up OF large trees richly furnished with
foliage; and we began to get misty glimpses
Of the great central chain Of tho Caucasus.
Thus the scenery was extremely varied. pic
turesque and beautiful. The Aragva presently
became Its most attractive feature, now flowing
smoothly through meadows, and now roaring In
ravines and cataracts. Our chief attention, how.
over, was given TO the famous piece Of en-
gineorlng, the Military Road, also q monument
Of tho genius of Prince Michael woronzoff.
For a mountain highway nothing better could
be imagined. Winding along the edge Of the
river or climbing over o hill where the solid
rock had been blasted or carved out to
make room for the roadway, 1t was everywhere
Of equal width, thoroughly macadamized,
smooth and even, and kept in perfect repair in
pyefy mart Wn an w Nyprkmpn Mt N dDypp p1nnpa
during that days drive putting in now masses
Of broken stone to fill up inequalities. and
rolling them down with heavy machines.
As soon as We got fairly away from the
city's traffic, we began to drive like
fury. Up hill or down the rate OF going
was almost always the same. and some
times when going down, 1t became rather
alarming to the nerves. AS the road had to
follow the inequalities Of the mountains. and in
many places was carried out around projecting
crags, 1t was impossible to see whether or not
other carriages were coming to meet US on the
other side of the projection. On the one hand
was the solid wall Of the mountain and on tho
other a precipice OF perhaps Ave hundred
or q thousand feet down. On the outer side of
the road, the side toward tho precipice. there
was everywhere n solid stone wall laid in mortar
and about three feet hiRh; but II, when rushing
down hill at the rate Of twelve miles an hour,
your equipage. weighing 80 many tons. should
strike In turning q corner upon another car
riage and cargo. whether heavier or lighter. tho
result would DO a collision, and the wall of three
feet in height would not avail to prevent one par
ty or the other from bouncing over the precipicc.
This consideration did not seem to occur either
to Mamatsett or the coachman, and as we up
preached some Of these little turns it
was impossible not to imagine that this
ftmn VIZ might rnfrh nm yyffh 1ianafnr.
yet there was never any real trouble. Our
fears always proved to DO groundless. and we
swung around tho projection of the mountair
just as smoothly on the lower side as we had
swung toward 1t on the upper. Yet 1t made
an exciting and breakneck sort Of coaching,
and We were very glad when at night.
after having completed half the length of
the Military Road. we stopped before the
comfortable post house In the old Georgia.
village OF Meta. But when we delivered the
official recommendation which we had procured
at Tifis, advising tho keeper of the post hous,
that the reserved imperial apartments wers to
be opened for our use, hc said: II am very
sorry, but. unfortunately. you como q little too
late. His Excelloncy tho Persian Minister. with
his suite. arrived here an hour ago on his way
home from the coronation at Moscow and we
havo been obliged TO put him In possession Of
those apartments. However, we think that we
can make you comfortable. and that you will not
have to undergo any serious inconvenience" go
1t turned out for the whole party, excepting tho
italian Minister to Persia, whose lodgings were
inferior to tho average. But when I condoled with
him tho next morning. he said that he had slcp.
perfectly. and that there was really nothing to
lament in tho incident Q. i. d.
FOX HUNTING ON BICYCLES.
Run Down by the Nheclmen. He Took 20 tho