92 SAVAGE SVANETIA, 



river ; while close by the new bridge span- 

 ning the Rion where the road to Glola 

 branches off from the main road to Gebi, we 

 found just on the edge of the grand pine 

 forest fringing the river a spring of strongly 

 impregnated iron water. Near Glola itself is 

 another spring which I did not see, but of 

 which the natives had much to say in favour 

 of its wonderful purgative and other medicinal 

 qualities. 



We passed one night, en route to Glola, at 

 the little hamlet of Ootsara, although we had 

 to effect a forcible entry at the inhospitable 

 duchan. It was not until the door seemed 

 yielding beneath the sturdy blows of our in- 

 terpreter, and he seemed every moment likely 

 to be within reach of the innkeeper, whom he 

 was loudly threatening all the while with 

 instant death, that the sleepy old rascal 

 turned out from his lair amongst the pigskins, 

 and let us in. 



