A COOL CONCLUSIOX. 209 



It wasn't a bit of good STrearing at them, 

 but I'm afraid it was just one of those moments 

 when a good candid expression of your opinion 

 of your fellow man is not only a luxury but 

 a necessity. Again we sent the men on ahead, 

 or at least one of them — the fellow with the 

 lio'htest load — but it was no o-ood. After 

 going some distance he threw down the bear- 

 skins which he was carrying, and said we 

 might carry them ourselves ; after which he 

 sat down by the wayside and scowled and 

 laughed at us by turns. So far the people of 

 Svanetia had not impressed us favourably. 



By-and-bye we saw far up on the rising 

 ground to our right a couple of fellows with 

 some cattle, and another making hay-cocks 

 almost on the summit of the ridge. A loud 

 ' cooey ' from our guides brought an answer 

 from the hill-tops, and then in wonderfully 

 clear shrill tones they explained that if the 

 people above had aiiy bread, those down 



