248 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



of contention being the division of the saddle- 

 bags as a pillow, our one comfort that night. 

 Poor wretches ! I'm sure our most severe 

 critics would have forgiven us for our bad 

 tempers, if they had known how abominably 

 uncomfortable we were. At any rate we for- 

 gave one another next morning, and by 

 general consent the whole party was moving 

 as soon as there was the least glimmer of 

 dawn to guide us, and after being buffeted 

 by the wet boughs and soaked with the 

 chilly dew which they shook off upon 

 us, for the space of an hour we entered 

 upon an opening where grew the first and 

 one of the finest pine-trees I ever saw in 

 Svanetia. 



From crest to foot the grand old forest 

 giant was covered with long festoons of grey- 

 beard moss, and the weight of many snowy 

 winters had bowed him, until he looked as if 

 he had not many more days to lord it over his 



