102 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



half a dozen great terra cotta jars of wine, 

 and one wine glass. There were all the old 

 grey-beards of the village, including the 

 starchina, a large number of picturesquely 

 untidy women, and at the top of the group, 

 by the tree root, my truant interpreter, and 

 a man and woman in European costume. 

 Though I had no fancy for crossing the 

 bridge, I went across and joined the group, 

 bemg received with tremendous applause, 

 whilst Platon introduced me to his Russian 

 friends, a soldier and his wife staying at 

 Glola, that the woman might go through a 

 course of water cure at its springs. 



As soon as I had been settled down into 

 the best place, fresh jars of wine were 

 brought, and with much unction the speech- 

 making and toast-drinking began, while as I 

 did not care for the solids, a little Tcherkess 

 girl got up into the tree and shook me down 

 walnuts for my wine. 



