146 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



here we kindled oiir fire and tethered our 

 horses. 



In a few mmutes our men had unearthed 

 some of the denizens of Latali, and one of 

 them, a handsome old village Elder, asked me 

 to come into his house, which opened out of 

 the yard, and see the tiir horns collected by his 

 sons, while his wife cooked a supply of bread 

 for our expedition. In a low cave-like dwel- 

 ling, lit by the brilliant but uncertain flicker 

 of a. wood fire on the floor, sat the handsomest 

 woman (by firelight) I think I ever saw. 

 Anything more beautiful than those dark eyes, 

 lit by an occasional flash from the embers, I 

 never beheld ; and though her occupation was 

 the humble one of bread -making, she did it 

 gracefully and nimbly, as the ninety odd 

 loaves made and baked for our consumption 

 before daybreak amply testified. For these 

 and a flask of native whiskey, the flask a kind 

 of terra- cotta jar so large that one man could 



