SHOPPING AND SIGHT-SEEING. 233 



bargaining we paid more for our purchases 

 there than we should have done at home. 



The Viceroy, to whom I had a letter of 

 introduction, was especially kind to me, and 

 the three or four days of comparatively civi- 

 lised life after our evil times in Svanetia 

 were very welcome. 



When our purchases had been made, and 

 our purses nearly emptied, we returned to 

 Kutais, where we found a very kind letter 

 from the Prince, in which he resetted that 

 the recent heavy falls of snow had rendered 

 all sporting operations in his mountain pre- 

 serves impossible. 



So now we knew definitely that we must 

 give up all idea of securing a tur before our 

 return to England ; and though I was quite 

 ready to make another effort to bring my 

 pursuit to a successful issue, it was no small 

 consolation to know that we had not once 

 more to harden our hearts, and o^o throuii-h 



