COURTEOUS GREETEsG. 77 



to be troublesome long before our day's work 

 was over ; but once having made a start we 

 determined to hold out until night compelled 

 a stoppage. Our horses, too, had nothing all 

 day ; but to this they seem used, and their 

 owner laughed at the idea of their wanting 

 food before bedtime. 



All along our path we met wayfarers 

 either on foot or horseback, many of them in 

 spite of this heat exposing their bare heads to 

 the sun's rays. One fellow, v^dth a dense mass 

 of black hair. trudg;ed bare-headed and bare- 

 footed beside us more than half the day, and 

 by taking short cuts and occasionally trot- 

 ting, oftener waited for our horses than our 

 horses for him. All the men we met o^ave us 

 a courteous oTeetino;, and here round Kutais all 

 seemed happy and well-to-do. 



At last when the sun had lono- ao;o set, and 

 the owls were beffinnins; to make themselves 

 heard along our wooded track, we came to a 



