272 THE LESGHIAN MOUNTAINS. 



for his moustache, and for the solitary love-lock 

 which his religion and his barber permit him to 

 retain. Best of all virtues, the Lesghians are 

 cleanly. In the whole of my stay amongst them, 

 my night's rest was never broken by the antics of 

 insect gymnasts or the attacks of burlier foes. 



The Sunday we spent in the mountain hamlet, 

 each according to his own fancy. Allai went at 

 dawn into the higher peaks to look for traces of 

 game. Ivan spent his morning cross-legged on 

 the floor washing clothes ; and at midday we all 

 three met on an eminence some two hours' climb 

 from the valley, to photograph some of the scenery 

 with one of Rouch's patent dry-plate apparatuses. 

 On our way we met the village "hadji, who was 

 vastly interested, and promised to come in and 

 see more of us and our photographs in the eve- 

 ning. 



In the valley the thermometer registered 70, 

 while on the higher peaks, from which we tried to 

 take photographs, it registered 54 in the sun ; mean- 

 while the grass below was matted with ice which 

 showed no signs of thawing. We gathered quite 

 a fine bouquet on our way up primulas, violets, 

 the white blossom of the wild strawberry, forget- 

 me-nots, crimson clover, and a single golden but- 

 tercup. As for the photography, we chose some 

 excellent views, and took them very carefully, 

 going away quite satisfied that those at home 



