134 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



of fowls for rather less than two shillings the 

 lot, weY\"ere obhgecl to make one small damper 

 provided by the good-natured judge appease 

 the hunger of three men. 



How we envied the prince who, they tell 

 us, whenever he deigns to walk through a 

 village in Svanetia, is assaulted by the dam- 

 sels of the place, whose custom it is, coming 

 behind him, to embrace his neck and atone for 

 their assault by presents of creature comforts 

 of bread and wine, cheese, fowls, &c. 



About twelve o'clock a messa2:e came to 

 us, that the prince was ready to receive us on 

 his verandah, and begged us to bring our rifles, 

 revolvers, and any other curiosities of civilisa- 

 tion which we might happen to possess. 

 Arrived in the verandah, the prince seized on 

 the bourka (blanket) of one of his hapless 

 retainers, and sent the owner off to the hillside 

 opposite the house to put up the blanket as a 

 mark for our rifles. 



