192 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



In spite of the rain, Platon, Imat, and 

 myself started for Kerar, up the course of a 

 mountain stream, which had cut for itself a 

 deep bed in one of the gorges which ran at 

 rio'ht anofles to the main chain of mountains 

 on the rio'ht bank of the Ino-our. Two 



o o 



months' use had taught us to look on the bed 

 of a stream some two to three feet deep as 

 the natural substitute for a highway in this 

 part of the world, nor did constant rain incom- 

 mode us much. Perhaps, if you are wet 

 at all, it is better to be wet all over. It was 

 rather annoying though, that when we reached 

 a point in the gorge which commanded a 

 good view of likely spots for chamois or other 

 game, a cold blast of wind invariably swept 

 huge volumes of thick mist into the pass, 

 which rolling over us in great white waves 

 effectually hid the view. 



About mid-day we had reached a point at 

 which our watery pathway had become a 



