TRAVELS IN CIRCASSIA. 319 



Bambor, covered only with fern, holly, and butcher's 

 broom, we entered a noble forest, composed of trees 

 the dimensions of which were gigantic, even in 

 Abkhasia. Their magnificent proportions could be 

 the better appreciated because they were not crowded 

 in such a way as to impede their growth. There was 

 no underwood to prevent us from galloping under the 

 wide-spreading branches of majestic beech or linden 

 trees, while from their topmost boughs drooped in 

 sweeping festoons the graceful tendrils of the wild 

 vine, waving softly above our heads their luscious 

 burdens of purple grapes. Here and there the 

 darker green of the box - tree contrasted with the 

 surrounding foliage, while the unusual size of its 

 growth almost entitled it to a position among forest- 

 trees. The grateful shelter afforded by such luxuri- 

 ance of vegetation was taken advantage of by the 

 peasants, and we cantered along grassy glades to a 

 little village composed of neat wooden cottages em- 

 bowered among trees, in the twisted branches of 

 which the people had stacked their newly-gathered 

 maize. Its golden hue, sparkling out from, under 

 green leaves at a height of twenty or thirty feet 

 above the ground, produced a most singular and 

 uncommon effect. All the male inhabitants of this 

 village were collected upon the smooth green lawn 

 on which Prince Michael's house was situated. It 

 was a large massive building, constructed partly of 

 roughly-hewn stone, and partly of wood ; and, con- 



