From The Constitutional Press Magazine. THE KOOLAGH: OR, SNOWSTORM AT ERZROOM. BY THE REV. JOSEPH WOLFF, D.D., LL.D. IT was in the month of December, 1843, that I left Trebizond for Erzroom, on my way to Bokhara for the second time, the object now being to ascertain the fate of Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly. I was going thither in the character of an English dervish-a holy man, whom even the most barbarous eastern tribes were likely to respect, and allow to pass unmolested; and therefore my dress consisted of a clergyman's preaching gown, a doctor's hood, and shovel hat. Our small party included only three souls, viz., an excellent Tartar, who was sent with me by the pacha of Trebizond; his servant Michalovitch, who was a Russian; and myself. The distance betwixt Trebizond and Erzroom is about one hundred and fifteen miles; and in summer the journey may be performed in four days; in the depth of winter, however, it is very different; and we were more or less wading, from the 1st to the 10th of December, up to our necks in snow, before we reached our place of desti On our way we lodged, at night, in the abodes of the poor mountaineers, in huts and occasional small villages. Some of these people being Turks, and some Armenians, who received us very kindly in their meagre, but not uncomfortable, homes; where, fatigued with travelling on horseback, which never suited me, and almost frozen to death, I was thankful to lie down and rest, and have the provisions we had brought with us cooked in their simple way. The city of Erzroom, with about forty thousand inhabitants, stands on level ground about six thousand feet above the sca. It is situated at the foot of Mount Ararat, surrounded by a mountainous range, and is approached by narrow passes, often with precipices at the side, into which, when the frozen snow lies deep, the traveller and his mule by a single false step disappear forever. The climate of Erzroom experiences the two extremes of heat and cold; and the temperature in winter freezes the breath of the trav eller into icicles, which rattle on his beard and moustache. In addition to the kindness which I received from my countrymen at Erzroom, the Pasha Al-Haj-Khaleel-Kamelee called on me, and said he should not allow me to spend one farthing in travelling through the province; and so my Christmas was most agreeably passed, and I intended to resume my journey towards Persia in the beginning of January. But on the day of my intended departure, before I set out very early in the morning-a caravan of Persian merchants, with sixty mules laden with goods, and accompanied by a French physician who was employed in the Turkish service, and was on his way to Bayazeed, started on their road, whilst I was to follow them about noon, when the weather, which had been threatening, was expected to have cleared up. According to this advice and arrangement of my friends, I deferred my leavetaking for a few hours, and was then accompanied to the outskirts of the town by a cavalcade, for we were all on horseback, which consisted of Colonels Williams and Farrant, Messrs. Brandt and Redhouse, and Zohrab, Mr. During the journey, we passed through Brandt's dragoman, who had assembled to the Armenian town of Goomish-khanah, witness my departure, and cheer me on the where there are silver mines; and the bishop road. But now, let us pause a moment at hospitably entertained us there; and another this spot outside of Erzroom, and survey the time we rested at the house of an Armenian scene before us. In front was the lofty Aramerchant, who enlivened our evening with rat, rising to more than seventeen thousand the timbrel and dance. We also halted at feet (called Agra-Dagh by the Turks), which Bayboot, where the reception was not so was split and broken by chasms and precfriendly; for an Armenian, recently come ipices on every side; and from its highest from Jerusalem where the English bishop- points mighty avalanches were falling, and ric had just been established, spread a sus-dealing destruction on all below. It is very picion that this had been done with a view remarkable in this region, that so long as to uproot the Armenian Church there. On the skies are covered with mist, and the air reaching Erzroom, I was received with open arms in the houses of my English friends, Mr. Brandt the consul, Colonels Williams and Farrant, Mr. and Mrs. Redhouse, and the Hon. Robert Curzon; and the last named gentleman being very ill at this time, I visited him, and administered the Holy Communion to him. blows mildly, the traveller may proceed on snow desert. For from these the traveller can claimed, “I will give you a toast, in Tenedos protect himself, by lying down; but not so, wine, which we will drink with three times if overtaken by the dreadful koolagh. This three-Wolff's health! and a happy journey, terrific foe is no common snow-shower from and safe return to him from Bokhara!" The the clouds, but it comes when no cloud is to colonel then filled his glass, and began "Hip! be seen. The air blows intensely cold, freez-hip!"-but before the word was thrice reing your fingers as you hold the mule's peated, the sky broke out clear, the chillbridle, and your feet in the stirrup: and, ing wind burst forth, and shrieks from the almost instantaneously, the beast which car- town, from the adjoining houses, and from ries you may be floundering body deep in the escort of soldiers, "koolagh! koolagh! snow, whose sharp particles, dashed against koolagh!" announced the presence of the your face, cut the skin and blind the eyes; dreadful visitant. and in the next moment you may fall over a precipice and be lost. Three days after this occurrence, the dead bodies of the merchants and the French physician who had gone out of the town in the morning of the day on which I intended to start, were brought back; but very little of their merchandize could be recovered. All of us had but one instant allowed for slipping into shelter, before the " snowThe koolagh is thus caused. A great cir- spout" had arrived with all its desolating culation of wind immediately follows upon strength. The whole town was at once so the withdrawal of the clouds; and rushing completely buried in snow, that when, in a in draughts from all sides through the clefts few minutes, I sought to regain my lodgings of the mountains, it sweeps the snow from which were close at hand, I could not reach every crevice and corner, and forming a them till after a struggle of two hours through kind of whirlwind, it carries up the frozen the frozen mass, which filled the streets. snow from the ground in a column, which falls and buries every thing beneath. Such is the koolagh, or snow-spout-the most dreadful enemy which the traveller in these parts has to encounter. When it breaks forth death stares him in the face on every side; the fearful coldness of the wind is such that he realizes Dante's idea of the death by cold in hell-that overpowering cold which destroyed an army of five hundred thousand men in Russia. The snow, congealed together, comes down upon him on all sides. He is rendered powerless in his frozen body, hands, and feet; whilst the maddened animal he rides on, rushes down the snow-filled chasm, and neither rider nor horse are ever seen again. Happier is he who is at once crushed by the mighty avalanche. In a few days I proceeded on my journey, divested of my snow dress, and arrived safely at the monastery of Kara-Kleesia, near which one hundred and twenty four thousand Armenians were baptized by the great Gregory Lusawritsh, who founded both that, and the monastery of Etsh-Miazin. And thanks be to thee, good Gregory Lusawritsh-justly called Lusawritsh, which means "the Enlightener," for thou didst enlighten King Tirtat, and thy nation with the light of the gospel! Yes, again, I thank thee, thou With the best hopes that I should escape founder and builder of the monastery of any danger on my way, Colonel Williams Kara-Kleesia, for what could I have done would nevertheless not allow me to depart in my journey, when I arrived at the spot, from Erzroom, without more protection where thy house of pious hospitality stands, against the inclement weather, than the if this monument of thy love had not been clerical dress in which I had been travelling at hand to receive me: for there again-the afforded. He therefore enveloped me in second time-I heard the shrieks, "Koolagh! huge trousers, and a loose coat lined with koolagh!" and had only just time to reach wolf's skin: a woollen shawl was tied round the homestead of the worthy monks, who my waist, and my legs were thrust into jack-recognized and welcomed their old friend boots, with fur inside that rose to my hips; Joseph Wolff. and in this unmanageable dress-which I Traveller, remember, and be on your guard eventually discarded as soon as I was out at Sultaniah; nor venture to travel there, as of sight of my friends, and fairly set off on I did, during December and January, lest my journey-I was now sitting on horseback you hear the shriek-the fatal shriek, “Koowith the rest, whilst Colonel Williams ex-lagh!" POETRY. - God's Horologe, 66. Church's Picture, "Twilight in the Wilderness," 66. SHORT ARTICLES.-Roger's Wood-Carving, 86. GOD'S HOROLOGE. HARK! God's horologe is strikingIn yon vaulted dome above; Myriad, myriad orbs triumphant March majestic to the chant, Hymning God's exhaustless love. To scatter light and peace o'er all. Wild ocean rolls in ceaseless sweep, From lowly nest the lark up-springing, To shame our feeble earthly singing. Each tiny form of loveliness, Nor track a Father's footsteps near? Canst thou look up in his pure eyes? That waits thee now in Paradise? -Englishwoman's Journal. E. G. H. CHURCH'S PICTURE, "TWILIGHT IN THE WILDERNESS." AROUND this soft, though lonely scene, Then hearts are touched by every ray Seem all the sky, the river still, The soul with Nature's loneliness. It speaks and sings, and breathes of love, This benison the picture shows, -N. Y. Evening Post. INSTALLATION ADDRESS Of the Right Honorable Henry Lord Brougham, etc., etc., Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh. Delivered on the 18th May, 1860. With Notes, the face of science, laying the deep and broad foundations of his imperishable renown. But there are other sad recollections that now force themselves on the mind-recollections of the fellow-students who, under the GREAT as is the pleasure of meeting you on this occasion-great beyond my power same masters, gained those accomplishments of which made themselves the ornaments of soexpression there are unavoidably mingled with these feelings others of a painful naciety, the solid learning and practical knowledge which made them its benefactors, minture. All that surrounds us recalls the mem ministering her laws, amending her institutions, improving her literature, and taking their station among the best friends of mankind, the fearless, the consistent apostles of piety, humanity, and freedom-and all have now passed away, leaving their memory for our comfort, their example for our encouragement; the Duncans,1 Lundies,2 Gillespies, Thompsons, Birbeck, Reeve, Campbell, Leyden, Graham, Mackenzie,1o Scott,11 Kinnaird, 16 Ward,17 Seymour, 18 Grant,19 Cranstoun,12 Moncreiff,13 Erskine,14 Reddie,15 Kinnaird, 16 Ward, Seymour,18 Grant,19 Cockburn, Brown, 21 Horner, Jeffrey,23 and latest, not least of our losses, Murray,24 8 4 9 1 Rev. H. Duncan, to whom we owe savings banks. 2 Rev. H. Lundie, a sound divine and eloquent preacher. 3 Rev. W. Gillespie, well known for his poems, especially "Consolation." 4 Rev. A. Thompson, celebrated for his eloquence in the pulpit and the Church Courts. 5 Dr. G. Birbeck, founder of Mechanics' Institutes in England, and of Lectures to Working Men at Glasgow. ory of those whom we have lost-the teach-istering at the altars of their country, aders of other days: Dalzell, whose learned and useful labors contributed so much to revive the taste for Greek literature, which he was wont, in somewhat irreverent terms, to charge the Solemn League and Covenant with having extinguished, at least with having banished prosody from the native country of Buchanan; Dunbar, who most ably and effectually improved upon his master; Playfair, deeply imbued with mathematical and physical science, possessing in the highest degree the talent so often wanting in its cultivators, of conveying instruction to others; Robison, master of the same science in all its branches, teaching it by his invaluable writings, and whose errors on subjects into which he made digressions, those who most differed with him were prone to excuse, ́almost to admire, from his perfect sincerity and purity of purpose; Stewart, illustrating the great geometrician's name which he inherited with his genius, by a delicacy of taste and a bewitching eloquence so rarely found in alliance with such severe studies, and en-ily of the Taylors. abling him powerfully to inculcate the truths of the moral and political science which he bore so ample a part in founding. While the voice of these men seems yet to fill my ear, the form of one yet more illustrious rises before me in all the grace of his venerable aspect, the Father of Modern Chemistry, to whom we owe our acquaintance with the nature of the bodies that compose our planet nearly as much as from Newton we derive our knowledge of its relations to ment to a provincial judicial office alone prevented 15 J. Reddie, a great lawyer, whose carly retirethe universe. Yes! within these walls I en-him from rising to the highest place on the bench. joyed the happiness of sitting with his numerous class in breathless silence, and riveted attention, while Black recounted the history of his immortal discoveries, and with his own hands performed the experiments by which they had been made, perhaps with the instruments he had used, acting over again before our eyes the same part which had changed 6 Dr. H. Reeve, an eminent physician at Norwich, and allied by marriage to the celebrated fam Hope," and the finest lyrical poems of late times. 7 T. Campbell, author of the "Pleasures of 8J. Leyden, author of sonnets, much admired. 9 J. Graham, author of the "Sabbath" and other poems. 10 J. H. Mackenzie, afterwards Lord Mackenzie, an eminent judge. 11 W. Scott, afterwards Sir Walter. 12 G. Cranstoun, afterwards Lord Corehouse, a great lawyer, advocate, and judge. the greatest lawyers and judges in modern times. 18 James Moncreiff, afterwards Lord M., one of 14 W. Erskine, known by his able works, especially on East Indian affairs. 16 C. Kinnaird, afterwards Lord Kinnaird, distinguished in Parliament. 17 J. W. Ward, afterwards Lord Dudley, and Secretary for Foreign Affairs. 18 Lord Webb Seymour, eminent for his great learning, especially in physical science. 19 R. Grant, afterwards Sir R., Governor of Bombay, distinguished in parliament and by his literary talents; brother of Lord Glenelg. 20 H. Cockburn, afterwards Lord Cockburn, eminent as an advocate and judge. |