Identifier: russiasrailwayad00dobs (find matches)
Title: Russia's railway advance into Central Asia;
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Dobson, George
Subjects: Trans-Caspian Railroad Eastern question (Central Asia) Soviet Union -- Description and travel Asia, Central -- Description and travel
Publisher: London : W. H. Allen & co.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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e below.Even the slightest movement of subsidence inthese ugly snow-packs would frighten the horsesand imperil the travellers life. The fall of aloose stone or piece of rock from the overhang-ing cliffs nearly precipitated a diligence over thefatal edge a little time before ; so that when Ipassed along this part of the road, Cossacksentinels were stationed at the more dangerouspoints to prevent, if possible, the recurrence ofaccidents of this kind ; although even these agiletroopers, who are equally at home in the moun-tains and on their native plains, are not alwaysable to escape the peril from which they areexpected to guard others. A few years agoa whole squadron were completely buried orswept off into the yawning abyss of the narrowvalley beneath. One of the higher mountainsbears the name of The Majors Wife, in com-memoration of an officers spouse, who was socompletely lost by one of these terrific snow-slips, that no traces were ever .found of herremains or those of her servants.
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Through the Caucasus to the Caspian. 79 Then came the steep zigzag descent into thelovely valley of the Transcaucasus, watered bythe river Aragua. The reckless, but skilful,manner in which our yenistchik whipped hispost-horses down this narrow winding pathway,carved out of the perpendicular sides of moun-tains 8,000 feet high, taking the abrupt turningsand curves with a whirl round that nearly over-balanced the carriage, was enough to take onesbreath away. Ordinary tourists do not, as arule, travel here at this pace, which I must statewas entirely due to the fact that I was journey-ing in the company of the Russian Consul atVan, in Asia Minor, and that our progress wasvery much accelerated by the extra pressure ofa special podorojnaya, or posting certificate, andthe never-failing inducement of copious gifts ofbacksheesh. Mr. Kolyoobakin was going on avisit to his home in Tiflis, and, like myself, wasanxious to lose no time. We therefore travelledall night, and did the 200 versts from

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