SECOND TOUR IN THE GREAT CAUCASUS. 299 



gether from all Georgia to the festive place and offer 

 god Bacchus copious libations of Kakhetian wine, 

 when universal brotherliness is said to be the order 

 of the day. It is also vaunted of Kakhetian wine 

 that it exceedingly gladdens the heart of its persistent 

 drinkers, and those who know the country profess to 

 recognise the inhabitants of Tiflis everywhere by their 

 hilarity. 



We accomplished the pleasant and interesting ride 

 through Kakhetia under the guidance of two sons of 

 the princely family, which had invited us to make an 

 inspection of the beds. At the foot of the lofty chain 

 the old prince with other sons joined us. The an- 

 cestral seat of the family, in which we passed the 

 ni flit, was remarkable. It consisted of a large wooden 



O " o 



house at the foot of the mountains, but yet situated 

 in the plain, which was built on posts some thirteen 

 feet high. A convenient ladder, which was lowered, 

 offered the only possibility of getting into the house. 

 It was a regular pre -historic pile dwelling, the style 

 having survived to our own day in the preservative 

 Caucasian air. In the interior of the house we found 

 a large hall, occupying the whole breadth of the 

 building, in which, along the only wall provided with 

 many windows, a table, over two yards in width, 

 stretched from end to end. This table formed the 

 sole furniture visible in the room, and had to fulfil 

 the most varied purposes. For dinner a carpet of 

 about half the width of the table was laid along its 

 edge, on which the viands and flat cakes were placed. 



