90 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



arrangement a permanent one. But should 

 she show temper, cease to take the trouble to 

 make herself attractive, or burden the would-be 

 father of stalwart sons with a useless daughter, 

 then the partnership is dissolved, the young 

 lady looks out for another husband, and her 

 father, brothers and cousins derive a good deal 

 of excitement and exercise from the chase of 

 the quondam husband with rifles, kinjals, and 

 other deadly weapons. For in spite of all that 

 Russia has done and can do, the old custom 

 of the blood feud, if not as lively as ever, is 

 still very for from extinct. Hardly a guide 

 engaged by us during our stay in Sv^netia but 

 had some villa2;e which was forbidden around 

 to him, some family or other that was lying 

 in wait for a quiet shot at him. Generally 

 our guide had carried off somebody else's wife, 

 and the somebody else naturally resented the 

 affront. 



Sv^ns do not seem to approve of open 



