. All the Russias; travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, & Central Asia. Tiflis ; and equally to Karsfrom Datum, at the other end, to which fortified port steamerswould bring troops and supplies from Odessa and Novorossiskin the Black Sea. The gorges of the Yang-tsze may be asimpressive—I have not seen them—but there is nothing inEurope which produces so profound an effect of dread uponthe mind as this lonely, silent, gloomy, cold abysm of do not wonder that any people holding it could bar theway to the i-est of the world—the only cause
. All the Russias; travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, & Central Asia. Tiflis ; and equally to Karsfrom Datum, at the other end, to which fortified port steamerswould bring troops and supplies from Odessa and Novorossiskin the Black Sea. The gorges of the Yang-tsze may be asimpressive—I have not seen them—but there is nothing inEurope which produces so profound an effect of dread uponthe mind as this lonely, silent, gloomy, cold abysm of do not wonder that any people holding it could bar theway to the i-est of the world—the only cause for surprise isthat before the present road was constructed anybody ever THE GEORGIAN ROAD 189 got through it at all. It even said, Thus far and no farther,to Rome herself, and marked the limit of her dominion. The gorge ends suddenly, as we dash at a right angle overa narrow bridge, and find a most picturesque sight before valley has now a flat floor between its two rugged walls ofrock, and man has turned such a narrow mountain-gap to hisown uses, as was inevitable when Europe is at one end and Asia. THE GEORGIAN ROAD—RUSSIAN FORT IN THE PASS at the other, for suddenly, where the road widens to a few flatacres, a Russian fortress springs into view—a square building,with corner towers, battlements and loopholes, precisely thefortress of the fairy-tale and the box of bricks. The guide-book, even the trusty Murray, points out that the fort of Darielis commanded by the surrounding mountains, but adds that anenemy could not draw any cannon up their sides. This is quitetrue—unless they took their cannon up in balloons. A Cossack I90 ALL THE RUSSIAS sentry lounges before the gate and scrutinises me suspiciouslyas I stop the carriage and get out my camera, but there is noother sign of life. The choice of such a spot,however,to disputethe passage of the Pass was anticipated long, long ago, foron the summit of a peak high above the modern fortress standthe ruins of a
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