TAKEN FOR BRIGAXDS. 225 



starvation, I turned my back on Svanetia 

 with a shudder, determined to make the best 

 of Djuaria, and be content. 



^Ye found a cancellaria on the further side 

 the river, in crossing which, on an infamous 

 bridge, I nearly lost my worthy interpreter, 

 and here we threw down our burdens and 

 began to inquire for the town. Poor Platon 

 was too ni from the exposure of the last few 

 days to be much good, and men seemed as 

 scarce as their habitations. The starchina of 

 course was away, so our letters were useless, 

 and everyone else seemed in hiding from 

 the rain. 



The only house we could find contained 

 a widow, who took us for brigands or some 

 such evil characters, and no amount of per- 

 suasion would gain us admission to her fire- 

 side. We were beginning seriously to think 

 that we should have to pass our night in the 

 balcony of the cancellaria, when a man we had 



VOL. II. 0, 



