_ 312 _ large hats which go down to the shoulders and cover the neck with fur, too. All this is necessary to resist the great cold and snow of this journey. If I had not made such great effort to pull off the stirrup, it would have been difficult for the muleteers to approach, for it was dark, and they were occupied with the loads falling off; if the mule had got up, it would have broken my leg or would have caused me much harm. We went down this descent for a full half-hour, then another stretch over the top of some mountains in sight of the sea, until we came upon another descent, as great and as steep as the first, where I immediately got off, not wishing to risk another fall. At the bottom of the mountain there is a large and beautiful plain of the size of Alvalade, surrounded entirely by mountains, and on their sides are many small houses inhabited by Armenians who live from cultivation and rearing livestock. The houses are built of stones and mud, as there are many of them stones in that area. After that we went towards the west-north-west into a narrow valley, a good league and a half long. When we came out of it we crossed an open plain in sight of the sea. A little after midday we arrived at a large place called Sorp, situated to the north of the road along it the plain. It is very fertile with fruits, mainly good apples. It is divided
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