VOYAGE AND ARRIVAL 33 



inhabiting the narrow strip between the mountains and 

 the sea along the central eastern coast of the Euxine, 

 precisely where later records and the maps of our 

 own day place them. But whence these seeming 

 " autochthones " arrived, what the cradle of their 

 infant race, to which of the " earth-families," in 

 German phrase, this little tribe, the highest number 

 of which can never much have exceeded a hundred 

 thousand, belonged, are questions on which past and 

 present are alike silent." 



Off Poti we got a mist-wreathed glimpse of the 

 western sierras of the great range, looking in vain for 

 double-headed Elbruz, the loftiest summit in Europe. 

 Cloud banks merged with the snow peaks, a world or 

 vaporous whiteness. Southward, over a waste of 

 waters, shadowy outlines shaped themselves into the 

 far, far distant mountains of Armenia. 



Myriads of large dolphins played about the yacht's 

 bows, dolphins whose scales radiated a glistening 

 brightness beautiful to see. Natural history teaches 

 us that only as they are about to die does this sur- 

 prising glory of colour enhance a dolphin's dull charms, 

 but here they all were, very far from the end of things, 

 with skins glinting rainbow-wise in vivid pinks and 

 blues. 



Batoum, our disembarking place, rests graciously 

 on the land like a king enthroned. The minarets of 

 many mosques stand out against a background of 

 thickly-wooded hills, which rise in sweeping curves, 

 tier on tier, to a great height, when they push off into 

 the dim sheen of rugged purple peaks. The name 



D 



