8 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



smoke out nor any window ; but the wide 

 crevices between the stone slabs of which the 

 walls were built were wide enough to remedy 

 both defects ; while light, as well as wind 

 and weather, found free access to the interior 

 through the roof of smoke-blackened hazel- 

 wands, overlaid with rough stones and slates. 

 The uncertain light and smoke hid all 

 details from our eyes for a while, but grad- 

 ually, as we got more accustomed to our sur- 

 roundings, we saw that we shared our apart- 

 ment with about half a dozen men ; an old 

 crone busy over a corn-bin, getting out maize 

 to grind for our long-delayed meal ; a young- 

 girl (her satellite, and Simon II. 's wife), 

 and several varieties of the lower order of 

 animals. Besides the corn-bin, there was an 

 extraordinary piece of furniture, which looked 

 like a coffin on four legs. This was the 

 pride of the house, the family four-poster, 

 the nuptial couch to which Simon II. had 



