The mountain of Ellyria was the commencement of the fine range that continued indefinitely to the south.
The whole country was a series of natural forts occupied by a large population.

A glance at the scene before me was quite sufficient.

To FIGHT a way through a valley a quarter of a mile wide, hemmed in by high walls of rock and bristling with lances and arrows, would be impossible with my few men, encumbered by transport animals.

Should the camels arrive I could march into Ellyria in twenty minutes, make the chief a large present, and pass on without halting until I cleared the Ellyria valley.

At any rate I was well before the Turks, and the forced march at night, however distressing, had been successful.