208 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



upon tlieir persons. To the improperly edu- 

 cated Englishnian the mere mention of this 

 creature is an offence. Judge then of our 

 consternation when we found that we too 

 were not exempt from the wandering hordes 

 of this insect pest. 



Quick as we could get them off, shirt 

 followed jersey and coat waistcoat into the 

 depths of our bathing pool, and here with 

 boulders piled upon them we left them, walk- 

 ing back to camp in naked innocence. For 

 the rest of that day we devoted ourselves to 

 the laundry, and during the whole of our stay 

 at Lapur always had one shirt on, and another 

 in the wash-tub. 



Every night before turning in to rest, our 

 men insisted on our loading our weapons, as 

 they suffered from a lively fear of wandering 

 Svanetians. Three of these gentry passed us 

 without a word the day after we arrived ; 

 wild-looking fellows with long, unkempt hair. 



