•236 THE IlION VALLEY. 



tioned east of Tau Burdisula, from which, if it should 

 prove accessible from the northern side, we could be sure of 

 effecting a descent into the Rion valley. It was finally 

 decided that we should return quickly to Gurschavi, 

 collect our baggage, and go down to Glola to sleep. 

 From there to Chiora must, we knew, be an easy day, 

 and from that village, if the weather continued fine, 

 we could cross the known pass to the Uruch. Its track 

 on the north side was shown by the map as running along 

 the side of a large glacier, the head of which must be 

 behind the gap in the ridge we had already observed, 

 as likely to give a passage to the south side. This scheme 

 had the advantage of leaving us the alternative, in case 

 of bad weather, or any other hindrance to its execution, 

 of returning over the same pass we had crossed by, and 

 regaining our base. The decision once made was promptly 

 acted on, and we raced down through the wood to the 

 village. Our Teeb horsemen, whom we still had with 

 us, soon got the animals ready, and our goods packed on 

 their backs. Before we left, a sickly-looking man, who 

 was suffering, as far as we could judge, from consumption, 

 was brought to us to be cured. Of course we could do 

 nothings really for the poor fellow, but, willing to give him 

 satisfaction, as well as to keep up our own credit, we un- 

 locked our little medicine-case, and poured him out a dose 

 of chlorodyne. The dram was carefully drained, and as 

 soon as the patient felt its warmth, he gratefully rubbed his 

 stomach, and, pouring a few drops of water into the cup, he 

 drank them off, in the hopes of catching any lingering 

 flavour. Our farewell to the boy-prince and the rest of the 

 village was most cordial, and the paj^ment we offered was 

 this time accepted, with real demoustrations of surprise and 

 pleasure at its amount. Amidst universal hand-shaking, 

 and expressions of hopes that we should come again 



