204 TIFLIS. 



crime, knowing full well that, should they do so, 

 they would live in hourly danger of their lives from 

 that tune forth. And even in the rare cases in 

 which the crimes have been fully proved, and the 

 criminals safely conveyed to Tiflis, they have been 

 set free again on one plea or another, until the 

 name even of justice has lost all meaning in the 

 land. In the six or seven years during which my 

 host has lived at Karias he has had his horse shot 

 under him on one occasion, has had a bullet put 

 through his bourka on another, and on a third, 

 whilst riding into Tiflis, a bullet fired from the 

 rifle of a concealed assassin broke the jaw of the 

 servant who accompanied him. If he makes him- 

 self obnoxious to any of his neighbours in the 

 execution of his magisterial duties, his best horses 

 are mutilated, his cattle shot, or his house fired. 

 Labour is so dear and labourers so scarce that he 

 cannot afford to choose those he employs, and 

 though a man comes to him red-handed, he must 

 engage him and be content. Thus it happens 

 that his own men are the veriest scum of Tiflis. 



One fellow who acted as my guide was wanted 

 by the Tiflis police for murder, and a speech made 

 by my host himself illustrated, I thought, as well 

 as anything could, the utter lawlessness of Karias. 

 ' We generally have mutton,' he said, ' though, as I 

 have no sheep and don't buy it, I don't know where 

 it conies from ; some of my fellows steal it, I sup- 



