238 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



Russians can be, and none can be more hos- 

 pitable than they. On the day after our 

 arrival, after breakfastmg with the officers of 

 the battalion, we were pro\'ided with horses, 

 and in company with about a couple of dozen 

 other chasseurs, for the most part military 

 men, betook ourselves to the valley between 

 the first and second rano-e of low hills at the 

 back of the town. 



The weather was simply superb, though 

 intensely hot, and the rich autumnal tints of 

 the wooded hills, which were set round a bay 

 of the bluest and calmest sea in the world, 

 made a gorgeous picture, a strong contrast to 

 the scenes of our late travel, where snow-clad 

 mountain peaks and dark pine forest stood 

 out in bold relief against a cold, clear sky. 



For my part I think I liked the sterner 

 picture best, for here the air is so enervatmg 

 that if only Circe still dwelt in her ancient 

 haunts, and came to you with a bottle of Bass 



