Eoad blocked up by rocks fi'om mountain, cut down trees, made levers, and cleared the Avay; major's leg nearly broken, every one dirtied with wheel grease, linger nails broken, hands cut, &c. No. 2. Koad repaired by Guards, who left us a bit of paper on a stick to commemorate the fact — was found too narrow, the hill-side dug out, stones laid, and road extended. No. 3. Landsliji — edge of the road gone, built up a wall of stones to support the edge, and passed over triumphantly. No. 4 Were riding along at a smart pace doAvm the road, which winds like a piece of tape (not red, but white) along the mountain side, when frantic cries from the next turn recalled us to our cart; found it had gone down over a gulley, shooting out beds and bundles some hundreds of feet below, and was lying right over in the mud of the aforesaid gulley atop of the wheel mule.
No one hurt. Took off wheels, cut fastenings, and unharnessed mule, which escaped without a hurt, but Avas covered with mud; raised cart, carried up beds, &c., out of ravine; unpacked cart and carried baggage across bad parts of landslip; set cart on wheels, loaded it, and went on our way rejoicing. Just after this accident we met General Eyre and his staff, attended by a Russian officer and several Cossacks, on liis way to Phoros. The gallant General had been round to Bakshiserai, Simpheropol, and Aloushta, and Avas just reversing our route which our party had the honour of being the first to drag a cart over. The General had been assisted up to this point by a village full of Tartars, who were caught by the Eussians, to get his cart over the bad places.
No. 5. Came upon the Guards and their servants, Avho were busy mending the road where it was cut by a mountain watercourse: aided them and ourselves; got over our cart first and preceded them on the road. No. 6. Cut fascines and filled in a gap in the road. Let it be understood, all this time, that there is the sea below us on the right, the quaint wall of clifi's, 000ft. or 700ft. high, on our left, and at times, as it were, topplmg over on our heads, and a rugged slope of wood and vineyard dotted with viUas between us and the beach. No. 7. Having come up to a party of Guardsmen who were bivouacking with.some artillerjmien on their way back to Baidar, we were told that the road was utterly impassable; it had been carried away by a landslip.
Eesolved to go on; repaired road soon afterwards, and proceeded cautiously through mud from the ice rills which had bored through and broken up the path in many places. It was becoming late, and yet v/e had not got more than eight or nine miles from Asarkaia, and Aloupka, for which we were bound, was still as many miles ahead of us. The clifi" at this part of the coast, which is somewhere between Kikineis and Liraena, recedes further from the sea, and there is a considerable tract of hills from its base to the road. These hills are covered with brushwood, and our vidette in front reported to us that two round knobs, which, no doubt, served as heads to as many Cossacks, were visible in advance, amid the young foliage.
As we approached, the knobs disappeared, but presently two lance points peered above the rocks at the turn of the road, and in another moment or two we were in the presence of three mounted Cossacks of the Don, who by signs demanded our passes in a very civil and agreeable manner. As none of them could read, this formality seemed useless, but they gave us to understand by signs that one of our party must go to the officer of the post, and the Major and his interpreter were accordingly handed over to the care of an individual with one eye, and were out of sight very speedily. Our cart was ordered back, and it was explained that we had to drag it over the slope of the hills on omleft, as the road before us actually had gone over the A CllI.MEA. cliffs.
Our friends were intelligent, good-looking young fellows, and while waiting for the ]\Iajor avc spent some time rather agreeably witli them in a mvitual examination of arms and interchange of tobacco. They wore heavj' curved swords, without guards to the handles, in large sheaths of wood covered with leather. Their heads were covered with sheepskin caps, the top being formed of red cloth, and slightly conical in shape. Their coats were like those of the infantry of the line — long garments of gray cloth, fastened by a strap at the back, and their trousers were tucked into their boots, mo7'e 3IuscovUortim. Each man had a long carbine slung over his shoulder, and I Avas rather surprised to observe that they had percussion locks. This armament was completed by a long and ver^' light lance.