84 TRANSCAUCASIA. 



Tiflis),jet, and quaint-coloured chests. A hatter's shop at 

 Kutais is wonderfully brilliant, owing to the variety and 

 gorgeous character of the headpieces worn by the inhabi- 

 tants. The shops seemed well stored with European 

 goods, from saddles and flasks, to opera-glasses, goloshes, 

 and cosmetics. We failed, however, to discover any of 

 the famous Circassian cream, of which Western ladies have 

 been known to request friends starting for the Caucasus 

 to bring back a store, in the belief (I need scarcely say 

 unfounded) that it is really a product of this country. 



We walked out to a botanical garden which has been 

 established on the opposite bank of the river : here there 

 are shady walks and a greenhouse; and although its 

 present attractions are limited, it will no doubt develope 

 into a very interesting collection of the trees and plants of 

 the country. In the afternoon I called on Count Lever- 

 schofP, the Governor of Mingrelia, who was living in a 

 prettily- situated villa outside the town, on the Tiflis 

 road. He was most polite, promised a ' crown-podorojno,' 

 and advised us to send to the postmaster and order a car- 

 riage. The postmaster kept Paul for two hours, and then 

 sent him away with a message that he had no carriages at 

 home, and that we must wait for the next diligence, which 

 did not leave for four days. Unaccustomed as yet to the 

 difficulties attendant on all negotiations with post-officials, 

 and deluding ourselves with the belief that a ' crown-podo- 

 rojno ' was treated with some respect in Eussia, we were 

 both surprised and indignant at the reply, and I returned 

 to the Governor, to inform him of the result of my inquiries. 

 I was shown into a room most gorgeously decorated in 

 Eastern style ; the windows, still unfinished, were draped 

 with Persian carpets, hung as tapestry ; others were spread 

 over divans, and one of the walls was decorated with a 

 trophy of Caucasian arms, from amongst which a chamois- 



