The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-15

four passengers could conveniently find
room. / should add that our party had
become considerably enlarged beyond
its first dimensions by the presence of
two English gentlemen and also by
that of a new Italian Minister to Persia,
who was obliged, owing to the impos-
sibility of getting to Baku by rail, to
go through the mountains and to As
trakhan, in order to find a steamboat
which would take him across the
Caspian.
A GOOD GUIDE.
Before leaving New York my friend,
Mrs. MacGahan, had advised me, if
possible, to secure the services of Alex
ander Mamatsett as our guide from
Tinis to VladikavkaX, and we were for
tunate enough to find him disengaged.
He is a giant, dark, evidently
Georgian, dressed in Caucasian cos
tune, and speaking only his native
language and Russian; and when my
statement that ! had asked for him
on the advice of Mrs. MacGahan, was
translated to him, a smile spread over
his features and he said, "Oh, yes; |
remember her with pleasure, and shall
be delighted to be of service to any
friend of hers"
The next morning at 9 o'clock we
started with a bright sunshine, though
the mountains in the distance were still
covered with clouds which made them
| invisible. Our six horses seemed at
| first rather light for so heavy a cargo,
but the pace at which we set out was
| lively. We had scarcely got out of the
| city when we overlook two or three
| trains of carts, and when they did not
| get out of the way rapidly enough,
| Mamatsett would take the big whip
| from the hand of our coachman and lay
| it over the shoulders of the delaying
| cartmen. The first one he struck turned
| in a rage, but the moment he saw who
| it was his anger seemed to disappear,
and he took his fogging with meek
ness and almost with an expression of
| satisfaction.
! About fifteen miles from Tihis we
came upon the old town of Mtskhet,
| formerly one of the capitals of Georgia,
place of very curious interest, bear
ing all the marks of extreme antiquity.
The cathedral is described as built in
the fourth century, and a number of
the Bagratde kings are said to be
| buried there. Tamerlane destroyed il
at the end of the fifteenth century, but
it was rebuilt a hundred years or sc
later. A striking feature of Mtskhet
as of other important Georgian towns
| is a great number of ancient towns
rising to a height of sixty or eighty
| feet, belonging apparently to different
antique strongholds, and scattered al
about the heights and hillsides as If tC
look out for some approaching foe, AS
we did not belong to that category, we
drove off with some regret at our in.
ability to stay long enough to explore
at least, the cathedral and the roya
tombs.
ON TO MOSCOW.
During the rest of the day we passed
many cultivated farms, all on eleva'
tions considerably above the road
where the farmers were busy plough
ing small fields, or making their EARL,
eet crop of hay; and they were good
farmers, too judging by the neatnes'
with which their work was done. As
the afternoon wore on, we came into g
land where the grass in the valleys
was very lovely; where the forests
were made up of large trees richly fur,
nished with foliage; and we began tC
get misty glimpses of the great centra
chain of the Caucasus.
Thus the scenery was extremely
varied, picturesque and beautiful The
Aragva presently became its most at
tractive feature, now flowing smoothly
through meadows, and now roaring II
raVines and cataracts. our chief at
tentiOn, however, was given to the
famous piece of engineering, the Mill
tary road also a monument of th'
genius of Prince Michael Woronzoff
! For a mountain highway nothing bet
ter could be imagined. Winding alonl
the edge of the river or climbing over
hill where the solid rock had beer
blasted or carved out to make room fo
the roadway, it was everywhere o
equal width, thoroughly macadamized
smooth and even, and kept in perfec
| repair in every part. We saw work
men at a dozen places during tina
, days drive putting in new masses o
broken stone to MI up inequalities, ant
rolling them down with heavy ma
. chimes.
AS sono as we got fairly away from
! the city's traffic, we began 10 drive lik
: fury, Up hill or down the rate Of SO