ADJSCH. 315 



side of tlie stream scattered trees made tlieir appearance, 

 and our attention was attracted to a deep hollow, or cut, 

 in the ground, such as is called a ' graben ' in the German 

 Alps, where, owing- to the friable nature of the soil, the 

 rains have washed away the surface and laid bare the skele- 

 ton of the mountain. Large herds of horses and oxen were 

 feeding on the grass-slopes on the right bank of the torrent. 

 Adisch, which had been hidden for some time, came 

 suddenly into view round a corner, finely situated on the 

 sloping hillside, at some height above the bottom of the 

 valley, beside a torrent descending from the snowy spurs of 

 Tan Totonal, a glimpse of which is the only hint of the 

 nearness of a mighty mountain-chain. 



We had outwalked our men and the luggage, and sat down 

 to wait for them on a knoll opposite the village, which con- 

 sisted, as usual, of a cluster of square stone houses, inter- 

 spersed and surrounded by towers, many of which were in 

 ruins. By the time Paul came up we were surrounded by an 

 excited circle of juveniles, to whom our equipments were 

 as marvellous and entertaining as a conjuror's box. Our 

 boots were perhaps the greatest source of amusement, and 

 the children were never tired of attempting to count the 

 number of nails in them. Entering the village, we were 

 led through it to a house at the farther end, where we 

 were invited to sit down on some logs of wood, under 

 the shelter of a projecting balcony, which was very con- 

 venient, as a heavy shower had just commenced. Paul 

 went into the house to see how the baking was getting 

 on, whilst we did our best to entertain and cultivate friendly 

 relations with the crowd which, as a matter of course, 

 gathered round us. 



We thought the Adischers, as a race, more mtelligent in 

 their looks than our late hosts of Jibiani, and ' their 

 manner in dealing with strangers ' was certainly less dis- 



