256 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



yet when we asked Yassili how soon we 

 should sight the goal of our long march, he 

 almost broke our hearts by pointing to a 

 new ridge of mountains just coming into 

 sight, and saying, ' We'll camp at the foot of 

 those to-night if possible, and to-morrow at 

 rftid-day we shall be at UshkiiL' 



After that general conversation flagged, 

 but as, by the help of my alpenstock, I kept 

 my place on a thread-like track along the 

 face of a slippery grass slope, I heard frequent 

 snatches of a soliloquy from one who was 

 behind me : ' Bless these hills ! ' he muttered ; 

 ' you don't catch me out of the vale again. 

 You're no sooner down one place than you 

 beo'in to go up another. Wish they were all 

 rolled out flat and planted with "roots." 

 Chamois and tur ! wish that fool W. had never 

 heard of a tur. Give me a covey of little 

 brown birds in the corner of every field, and 

 a little brown jug under most of the hedges ; 



