272 MONASTERY OF GELATI. OVER THE SURAM MOUNTAINS. 



richly rewarded for the toil of a fatiguing ride, which 

 brought me to the monastery situated some thousand 

 feet above the level of the sea. The monastery, now 

 for the most part fallen into ruin, commanding a splen- 

 did prospect, is especially celebrated through a small 

 temple, resting on four granite columns, each of which 

 belongs to a peculiar architectural style. This temple 

 is said to date from an extremely remote period, as 

 altogether the age of many architectural remains in 

 the Caucasus is not to be reckoned as in Europe by 

 centuries, but by thousands of years. Although a certain 

 allowance must be made for exaggeration, yet all one 

 sees and hears indicates that the Caucasus is one of 

 the primeval seats of human civilization. 



Kutais has now a railway station, and Tin 1 is is 

 easily reached in a single day from Poti or Batoum. 

 At that time one thought oneself lucky to have at 

 least a new road over the Suram mountains, by which 

 the former very troublesome journey was considerably 

 facilitated. As compensation the Suram pass was 

 extremely picturesque, and afforded the most enchanting 

 views. The underwood of fhe forest and of the more 

 open parts consists here entirely of rhododendrons 

 and of the arborescent yellow -flowering azaleas of the 

 Caucasus, both plants, which present a most charming 

 spectacle in the flowering season, and fill the air with 

 overpowering perfume. If in addition one imagines 

 bluff walls of rock, rising often almost perpendicularly 

 to the height of several hundred yards, frequently 

 covered from top to bottom with rank old ivy, an 



