286 THE LESGHIAN MOUNTAINS. 



the Lesghian hamlet, of which, in my ignorance 

 of the dialect, I had been utterly unconscious. It 

 seems Allai had found time to send over to the 

 elder of the village, representing me as a prince 

 under the protection of the Russian Government, 

 and on his representations the poor devil had been 

 confined in a miserable dark hut ever since. Of 

 course I gave the necessary sanction, though I felt 

 that it might be as well not to correct Allai' s mis- 

 taken notion of my position until I was safe again 

 in Goktchai. L may here mention that, though we 

 luckily escaped without molestation, we were con- 

 tinually advised to take an escort ; and even Allai 

 secured one at his own expense to see his brother 

 and horses safe back to the post-road when he left 

 us with the Lesghians. The Lesghians themselves 

 never leave their houses without one well-armed 

 man to protect their goods from the pilfering 

 Tartars, who abound in these little-visited regions. 

 I am thus particular in mentioning these things, in 

 order that no one who may be led to follow in my 

 steps may come to grief through a want of proper 

 caution, induced by my good luck. On our way 

 back to fioktchai 1 saw one of the beautiful Dal- 

 matian creepers which sometimes occur here, 

 though Allai assured me they arc by no means 

 common. 



