HEIMAWS DATC1I. 97 



soldiers had caught ; and though tired enough to 

 turn in gladly even here, we were, I think, even 

 more glad to turn out again at four next morning. 



On our way we came across signs of bears ; 

 in the first instance, in the face of a Greek settler we 

 met, whose nose and mouth had apparently got 

 discontented with their original positions, and had 

 altered them according to their own fancy. On 

 inquiry, we found that two years ago the Greek 

 had been frightening bears from his orchard, when 

 one of them had attacked him and, striking him on 

 the head, peeled the face off his skull almost, and left 

 him still living in this condition. He was found, 

 and the face replaced as well as possible, but his 

 whole appearance was hideously distorted. 



A mile or two further on we came across fresh 

 tracks of a regular family of bears, who had been 

 down to the high-water line looking for waifs and 

 strays whilst we were sleeping at the Cossack station. 



Mid-day found us at our camping place a 

 ruined datch or villa belonging formerly to General 

 Heiman, built on an estate given him, I believe, 

 as a reward for his successes against the aborigines. 

 But the house was never finished and the land 

 never reclaimed. AVhere once the Tscherkess had 

 magnificent orchards, nothing now remains save 

 here and there a fruit-tree, still bearing fruit though 

 sparingly, choked by the luxuriant growth of 

 forest trees. Through the doorless doorways and 



H 



