240 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



to them, and they saw no chance of screwing 

 a higher rate of pay out of me, I at last got 

 them under weigh by about eleven. 



Our road lay down the banks of the river, 

 which our men called Lapur, but which I 

 presume is that marked in the Russian map 

 as ' Tsxenis-tsxale,' until its junction with 

 another small stream, which they called Khe- 

 dowra. Road of course there was none, and 

 so wooded and steep were the banks that we 

 were continually obliged to cross and recross 

 the stream. To keep ourselves dry we accom- 

 plished this crossing by leap-frogging on to 

 the quarters of our baggage animals, and 

 stretchmg over pots, pans, and other impedi- 

 menta, clingmg frantically to their manes. 

 The position was difficult to maintain, as the 

 horses stumbled about among the boulders of 

 the river bed, and afforded subject for long 

 and hearty laughter. 



About two o'clock we reached the junction 



