Wednesday, May 6, 1840

1840

May

Wednesday 6

8 1/4

12 20/..

Ann left the room to have Domna, luckily for me, and I changed my clotted chemise and had a good wash –

Réaumur 10 3/4° at 9 and high whistling wind – Some rain in the night, and the Place rather muddy and dirty, but wind and sun will soon restore it to its dust, but à dire vrai, the dust has not incommodated us much yet –

Breakfast over now at 10 1/2 – Then had George and 1 thing or other, till sat down to my letter to Mariana at 12 –

Had General Orloff and Mr. Spaski, who went to the top of Ararat 5/17 August 1834 – They must have been here 1/2 hour and went away at 2 5/.. –

Spaski’s account much clearer than that of the man who came with Mademoiselle Kotzebue, Obuvian, or some such name as pronounced –

Spaski slept at the village of Atchury, and from there took 3 men, Jоганесъ Айвазовъ, 4/. Silver Rubles, Jелдаръ Гугазовъ, 4/. Silver Rubles, and Микердыч, 3/ Silver Rubles because he had the bœuf and only went as far as the rocks 2 hours from the sleeping place, so that one can ride to within 2 hours of the sleeping place – The monastery 3 versts out of the road –

Copy of Mr. Spaski’s little diagram – shewing his route of ascension along the west side of the mountain rather winding from north to south – Along a small river for  some distance from the village westwards, then turned along a valley southwards – 

Left the village Atchūry at 3 a.m. (5/17 August 1834) – Went slowly – Rested 3 or 4 hours or more en route, and reached e, the sleeping place, at 4 p.m.  The bœuf went as far as F, foot of the rocks, 2 hours from e – Melted snow and made tea – Off the next morning at 6, and reached the summit a. at noon – The snow had commenced from just above the sleeping place –

With an interpreter, even though it was General Orloff, not easy to understand Spaski thoroughly, but he seemed to say, he passed at the back of x, and spoke of the space marked glacier as a deep hollow full of snow, and the space marked ravine as a very deep cleft, both which he avoided by turning right at the ┼ d. and going behind x. (the ┼ d. was set up by Parrot, and is seen from below when not covered with snow but the ┼ c. is not seen from below) The cross c marks the point culminant that Parrot reached.  He did not go to the point a. The points a and b of equal height – Parrot did not go to point a. because  he reached b. too late in the afternoon – but Spaski reached a. first (at 12 at noon – 1/4 hour at the top and then descended and reached the point b. in less then an hour.  (This reminds me of the double cîme of Vignemale) –

He says the best time to go is August, because then the melting of the snow, chiefly in July, is over, and it begins to freeze a little again, so that it is hard enough to bear one sans trop s’enforcer – When Spaski went, he never sank above the ankle – Kuppfer tried to ascend Elbrus in June, but was obliged to give it up because he sank up to the middle in the snow – Spaski thinks the end of June or the 20 June would be better than (Russian) July – because June old style is before the great melting of the snow – therefore, choose June before or August after it –

It seems that from the village of Atchury to the sleeping place it is only necessary to walk 2 hours – and from the sleeping place to a. = 6 hours and from a. to b. say = 1 hour

N.E   a   Spaski’s summit масисъ d  Parrot’s lower cross

S.W   b   Parrots ditto                    e   Sleeping place just below the snow   

          x   Rocks? over glacier        f to F rocks

          c   Parrot’s upper cross        F foot of rocks

16 verscloks = 1 archine

Spaski gave the man with the bœuf 3/. en argent and the other 2 four each, but said General Orloff, they will want more from you – said I would offer them double – and should probably want 6 men, 4 for baggage and provisions and 2 for guides –

Ox-man Mikerditch had forgot his Christian name, the 2 others Johannes Aivazoff and Jeldar (pronounced Yeldar) Guhazoff (I think).  Inquire for these men at the village of Atchury.

Spaski knows the man who ascended with Parrot, and who came with Mademoiselle Kotzebue, Obuvian, or some such name – an Armenian? who speaks German and married the femme de chambre of Madame Kotzebue –

The account given by Spaski much the clearer and better of the 2 –

The sous officer Cossack that we are to have with us came this morning with General Orloff.  Just saw him in order to know him again – a nice, tidy-looking soldier-like middle-sized man –

It was 2 5/.. when General Orloff and Spaski went away – Then sat down to the above and have just written all but the 1st 4 lines of today now at 4 p.m., having been interrupted by George returned from the police – The chief ill – My passport only made out for Tiflis, therefore nothing can be done at the police – 

Sent him to the military governor, Mr. Braïko, but in the meanwhile had the whole history of the destruction of Vladicavkas by the Tcherkess – Attacked in the night 3 or 4 nights ago – All fled to the fortress that could – those that could, destroyed – The government house where we were, destroyed –a heap of the terrible!  The news brought by an officer just arrived – Colonel Shivok, the commandant, said to be just arrived here – Said I would make inquiries, but could not possibly believe all this till I had some better authority, spite of George’s thinking it so strange if the officer should not be right –

On seeing George after breakfast, told him that I should allow Domna her wages and double nourriture, i.e. two roubles assignats per day instead of one – and on George’s repeating his request very civilly for some addition for the dearness here, said I would allow during his stay here 1/. assignats more per day – Domna is therefore to order for herself – She did not like to go to Mr. Besoc’s because she should have tea and sugar to find, and that would take too much out of her wages – Quite satisfied – While left here, she will have her wages + double board = 40 + 60 = 100/. assignats per month, and while here, George will have his 3 + 1 =4/. per day assignats – ‘Tis now 4 1/4 –

Then finished my letter to Mariana, 3 pages and long ends – and then wrote 1/2 page of note paper to Princess Radzivill – Dinner at 6 to 7 – Walked about a little – Not in a humour for writing – At 8 1/4, began copy of letter written to Mariana, vide the other end – Had Domna …. Finished copying now at 11 35/.. –

Have not stirred out today – fine but not much sun, and high wind, and coolish –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/24/0097 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0098