84 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



way to the church. Some few here and 

 there drew their face cloths over their faces, 

 but we found this by no means the rule 

 amongst the people of Eadcha. 



Sigortsminda is one of the prettiest vil- 

 lages on the road — a busy, prosperous -lookmg 

 place in a well-cultivated plain, with a large 

 lake in its midst. The golden streaks of 

 cultivated land run out on every side, until 

 they meet and are lost in patches of dark 

 forest pine ; while far away to right and left 

 roll long stretches of purple hillside, over 

 which in the far distance loom the beautiful 

 snow-peaks of some of the satellites of 

 Elbruz. 



The cottages of the village remind you at 

 once of Switzerland, being like them in every- 

 thing, even to the roofs of plank kept down 

 by boulders. Here we^ breakfasted ; and 

 here I was almost tempted to stay awhile by 

 the accounts of bears in the immediate neisfh- 



