8 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



even green apples and black pipes cannot be 

 found to solace the early rising sportsman ! 

 But no cominof events cast their evil shadows 

 before on the evening of August 2, when 

 full of good spirits, having finished the last 

 miseries of preparation, Frank and I raced 

 in rival hansoms to Victoria. We felt after- 

 wards, when we reached Poti, that possibly 

 profession has more influence than race on thie 

 character of individuals, for drunk as our 

 British cabbies were in London, those who 

 piloted our droschky at Poti were more 

 drunken still. 



Having tried all other routes to Russia 

 and found them fairly quick and comfortable, 

 I elected tliis time to try the Flushing route ; 

 but though we had a fair passage on the 

 crowded boat, not even immunity from the 

 attacks of my most dreaded enemy, mal de 

 mer, will induce me to prefer the Flushing 

 route to that by Paris. Still it was a change 



