n of the scene which I am about
to describe, you must know that the villages in Georgia, and in our part
of Armenia, are built partly under ground, and thus a stranger finds
himself walking on the roof of a house when he thinks that he is on
plain ground, the greatest part of them being lighted by apertures at
the top. Such was the house in which my family lived, and in which my
wedding was celebrated. My nuptial chamber had one of these apertures,
which had been closed on the occasion, and was situated with its door
leading at once into the open air.

'It is the custom among the Armenians for the bridegroom to retire
first. His shoes and stockings are then taken off by his wife; and,
before she resigns her veil, has the task of extinguishing the light.
The storm had just broke,--thunders were rolling over our heads,--the
lightning flashed,--torrents of rain were pouring down with fearful
noise,--there seemed to be a general commotion of the elements, when my
Mariam, unveiling herself, extinguished the lamp. She had scarcely laid
herself down, when we heard an unusual violent noise at the aperture in
the ceiling: sounds of men's voices were mingled with the crash of the
thunder; trampling of horses was also distinctly heard; and presently we
were alarmed by a heavy noise of something having fallen in our room and
near our bed, accompanied by a glare and a smell of sulphur.

'"'Tis a thunderbolt, by all that is sacred! Oh heaven protect us!"
cried I. "Fly, my soul, my wife, escape!"

'She had just time to snatch up her veil, and to get without the door,
when an explosion took place in the very room, so awful, so tremendous,
that I immediately thought myself transported to the regions of the
damned. I fell senseless, amidst the wreck of falling stones, plaster;
and furniture. All I can recollect is, that an immense blaze of light
was succeeded by an overpowering sulphureous smell,--then a dead
silence.

'I lay there for some time, unconscious of what was passing; but by
degrees came to myself, and when I found that I could move my limbs, and
that nothing about my person was materially hurt, I began to consider
how I had got there. As for my wedding, that appeared to me a dream:
all I heard about me now was the firing of muskets, loud and frequent
explosions, cries and shouts of men,--of men wounded and in pain,--of
men attacking and putting others to death,--the tramplings of horses,
the clashing of arms. "What, in th