'A second journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, between the years 1810 and 1816. With a journal of the voyage by the Brazils and Bombay to the Persian Gulf. Together with an account of the proceedings of His Majesty's embassy under Sir Gore Ouseley, Bart. K.L.S. With two maps, and engravings from the designs of the author.' [‎346] (406/516)

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WILD ANIMALS.
who have witnessed the fall of a large mass of ice from the cliff into the
chasm, declare that nothing can equal the concussion.
<' Treman le spaziose atre caverne
E' I'aer cieco a quel rumor rimbomba,"
The sign of the greatest heat is when the snow has entirely left the
summit of Little Ararat. When encamped on the heights of Aberan
we watched its daily diminution, until it completely vanished. At
this period the cultivators of melons cut their fruit, and in general
the snows of Ararat are used by the agriculturists of Erivan as a ca
lendar, by which they regulate the sowing, planting, and reaping of
their fields. The Eelauts also are guided in their motions by the ope
rations of the weather on this mountain, keeping to their Yelaks, or
descending from them according to the falls of snow.
The soil of this great mountain appears to be one immense heap
of stones, confusedly thrown together, unenlivened by vegetation.
Here and there indeed are a few plants ; but Tournefort's circum
stantial relation will show how scanty are the gleanings of the bota
nist. In many parts of the Little Ararat are tracts of a very soft
stone, and in others a species of vitrification. Lava is also to be seen,
but the soil which most frequently intervenes between the rocks is a
deep sand.
The wild animals that inhabit this region are bears, small tygers,
lynxes and lions. Perhaps the most dangerous are the serpents,
some of which, of a large size, are venomous in the highest de
gree. They are reputed so fierce as to attack passengers. When
we resided in the vicinity of Ararat, a tale was prevalent that a
dragon had got possession of the road which leads between the small
and greater mountain to Bayazid, and, like the serpent of Regulus,
had impeded the passage of the caravans. This proved to be one of
the large snakes. The base of Ararat on the banks of the Araxes,
is girded by extensive swamps, in which are great quantities of wild