MINGRELIAN COSTUMES. 89 



shoes on his feet, no Mingrelian a sufficient covering for 

 his head. 



All the townspeople, except the Russian officials, wear 

 the long cloth frock-coats, reaching considerably below the 

 knees, and confined at the waist by handsomely-worked 

 silver belts, to which are suspended silver-sheathed 

 daggers. The row of cartridge-pouches on the breast, 

 which is de rigueur even for small children, is made a 

 vehicle for much tasty ornament, and the binding of the 

 coat and silk undershirt is often of silver or gold braid. 

 This costume gives an air of immense height to the really 

 tall and fine men, whom we often met promenading in twos 

 and threes. The poorer folk cover their shabby garments 

 in great sheepskin cloaks, and struck us as a sleepy 

 inoffensive-looking people. 



The women show their half-civilisation by the harsh 

 mixture of colours in their dress. They are distinctly a 

 handsome race, with fine eyes and good complexions ; but 

 after the bloom of youth has passed, their features sharpen, 

 and assume a shrewish air, which bodes ill for the peace 

 of their husbands. We saw many faces which might 

 have served as models for Medea, who, as some of my 

 readers may recollect, is described by Propertius as a 

 native of Kutais. The hideous fashion of wearing a great 

 plait of hair, or two corkscrew ringlets, over the cheeks, de- 

 tracts much from the charms of the modern Minsrrelian 

 belles, and the unfortunate spread of civilisation has led 

 them into imitations of Parisian costumes which, as they 

 are out of date by at least three years, are likely to find but 

 little favour in a Western eye. Large crinolines, of the 

 stiffest make, were in full vogue, and a devoted husband — 

 surely in his honeymoon ! — was seen on one occasion riding 

 home, with his dagger and sword at his side, brandishing 

 proudly in his hand an iron framework, destined to support 



