This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 Excerpt: ...With a motive akin to that which led Byron to cross the Hellespont, I attempted to swim over "The proud Araxes whom no bridge could bind." CROSS THE AKAXES. 203 But I was not so successful as the noble poet. The Chap. Vh. current would have carried me away, if it had not brought me in contact with some friendly ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 Excerpt: ...With a motive akin to that which led Byron to cross the Hellespont, I attempted to swim over "The proud Araxes whom no bridge could bind." CROSS THE AKAXES. 203 But I was not so successful as the noble poet. The Chap. Vh. current would have carried me away, if it had not brought me in contact with some friendly boulders, which inflicted no other penalty upon me for my rashness than a few bruises. On my return to my people, I found them and a party of Illyants busied in placing my baggage in a tree, which had been scooped out and fashioned like a child's toy-boat, the fibres of the trunk serving as the painter by which it was made fast to the bank. In this primitive bark we crossed in safety, at the same time that our horses had been made to swim over, though one was nearly carried away by the violence of the stream. As J had now arrived in Russian territory, my Enter the Mehmandaur delivered me over formally to the territory. chief of the encampment, from whom he took a written receipt for the safe consignment of my person. On the 26 th of June I arrived at Sheesha, a Sheesha. Tartar town on one of the affluents of the Arras. Here I was supplied by the Commandant with an order for five horses on all Cossack stations. This order also entitled me to an escort of one or more Cossacks, as occasion might require. Instead of following the usual route to Europe. Baku. and crossing the Caucasus at Tifliz, I struck off in an easterly direction, and, after a journey of eight Chap. vn. days, arrived at Baku, a town on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. I remained there two days to visit the temple of the fire-worshippers, and then resumed my journey. After a fortnight's hard riding--on one occasion I was two-and-twenty hours in the saddle--I reached Kizli...
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