front of our cave; and now it was the happy lot of those who got there first to hand out of their carriage the admired beauties of Armenia. The carriage stopped, and we were in readiness, our feelings of politeness screwed up to the most perfect tone,

When the pie was opened

The birds began to sing:
Wasn't that a dainty dish
To set before a king?

But the birds did not come out-here was much to be done before that desired object was concluded: first out came a cushion, then a featherbed, and then a pretty girl, then another cushion, then another lovely damsel, then three or four more cushions, and another feather-bed, and then the prettiest little Armenian of all jumped upon the ground, half laughing and half smothered ; for such dainty goods would have broken all to bits on those rough roads, if they had not been packed so carefully. The mother of the three graces accompanied them, and the party being assembled, the great business of life commenced in earnest. Dolmas and kieufté and cabobs soon graced the board; not that there was any board, but it sounds well. "Viands," that is chickens, lamb stewed with quinces, and all manner of good things, appeared and disappeared, to the wonder of certain hungry Koords who happened

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to be passing, and who would have been run through with the spits, if not devoured by Fundook, our brave ally, if they had made a row. Corks from foreign bottles of champagne, popped in brisk salute. Cooks and kawasses, grooms, arabagis, eiwasses, and heiwans followed the good example set them by their lords, and, fruges consumere nati," did their best to follow the end of their creation. Then and on that occasion only, did many a lanthorn-jawed, hooknosed Koord, imbibe the unknown potations of Frangistaun. Then in glorious generosity did the trusty marmiton dispense the bones of slaughtered lamb, drumsticks of fowl, and crust of pie, whereof repletion dire denied the power to partake. By staggering chiboukgis pipes were next produced, and fragrant coffee, served on salvers bright; and on soft Persian carpets now reclined, the party enjoyed the scene before them, passing an agreeable afternoon in each other's society; accompanied I thought with some little flirtations between some of the company, which I suspect left pleasing recollections on their minds, for though I cannot boast that anything came of it that day, yet not long afterwards two marriages were declared between some of those who assisted at the dinner in the cave of Ferhad; and the most

anxious chaperon will acknowledge that that was as much as could be expected under the circumstances, seeing that there were but two unmarried ladies of the company.

Afterwards I found among my papers the following doleful ditty, purporting to be a translation of Hafiz, on the fertile Persian subject of Ferhad and Shireen; and as the reader is not obliged to read it unless he likes to do so, I subjoin it in memory of the day that I for my part passed so pleasantly with many agreeable companions in this unfrequented spot. The accompaniment to the air having been kindly undertaken by Fundook, the minstrel thus begins:

Hafiz, who passed his sunny hours
By the sweet stream of Mosellay,
Singing of vineyards and of flowers
To pass the fleeting time away,
Tells how the blood of Ferhad's wound
Had stained fair Nature's mantle green,
Sprinkling with ruddy spots the ground
Before the feet of fair Shireen.

The tulip from his blood arose

Beside her path in that sad hour,
Displaying how its leaves enclose
A goblet in each opening flower.
Then to the lips the goblet press,
Whose rim contains forgetfulness.

The vine, the glorious vine, arose,
Unscathed by crime, unchanged by woes,
Exulting in her charms,

Waving her tendrils in the breeze,

And clasping the rough rugged trees

In her encircling arms.

With clustering grapes upon her brow,
Still as she binds each willing bough

Their welcome aid she gains;
On them she leans, but they confess
The power of her loveliness,

And glory in their chains.

Fill up the bright and sparkling bowl,
That cures the body, heals the soul.
No-be it not refused-

Hail to the vine! whose purple juice
Was sent on earth for mortals' use,
But not to be abused.

Still to the lips the goblet press,
Whose rim contains forgetfulness.
Forgetfulness, alas! 'tis this

That mortals hold the height of bliss
In this sad world of care;
For Memory through life retains
A catalogue of griefs and pains,
But little else is there.

Then to the lips the goblet press,

Whose rim contains forgetfulness.-HAFIZ.

Fundook.

CHAPTER IX.

The bear — Ruins of a Genoese castle - Lynx - Lemming - Cara Wolves - Wild sheep — A hunting adventure

guz

Gerboa

- Camels― Peculiar method of feeding — Degeneration of domestic animals.

OF four-footed beasts the most illustrious is the bear, of which there are a good many in the wooded sides of the mountains in the neighbourhood of Kars. Near the strange, unearthly lake of Tortoom, I saw the fresh footprint of a real Ursa Major—a thundering old bear he must have been. He had only just departed, and the mark of one of his paws was large enough to hold more than both of mine. In another place I came upon the ruins of one of the string of Genoese castles, which, in former days, reared up their lordly towers at distances of not more than eight or ten hours apart the whole way from Trebizond to Teflis. Their splendid ruins have been my admiration on many an imposing rock, frowning over an unknown valley. Even the names of most of these are lost, while we only