ARRIVAL AT PARI. 333 



from it, and forms on this side the boundary of Suanetia ; 

 between its lower slopes and the final spurs of the Leila, 

 the Ing-ur finds its way out to the low country through a 

 deep and densely-wooded gorge. The first building in the 

 hamlet was a whitewashed house, built in the manner of 

 ordinary civilised dwellings, with a little garden at the 

 back. A hundred yards farther we came to an open space 

 surrounded on three sides by buildings, and on the fourth 

 by the ruinous and blackened walls of the late residence of 

 Constantin Dadisch-Kilian, the native prince who, as has 

 been before related, some eight years ago murdered the 

 Governor of Mingrelia at Kutais. The village is composed 

 chiefly of mean -looking cottages, without the tall towers 

 of defence characteristic of Free Suanetia. We told our 

 horseman to take us to the quarters of the Russian Cos- 

 sacks who, since the crime of Constantin and the confis- 

 cation of his property, have been stationed here to keep a 

 watch over the district. The full force consists only of 

 ten men, and is of course too small to preserve order 

 except in the immediate neighbourhood, where the power 

 which they merely represent has been once felt, and is 

 now better appreciated. 



Herr Radde's account of the policy adopted by the 

 Russian Government towards the wild mountaineers of 

 Suanetia is very curious. ' It is remarkable,' wi'ites 

 the Herr, ' how here too the Government deals on a 

 policy of mildness with the wildest mountain- tribes. 

 When it is borne in mind that Free Suanetia contains a 

 thousand armed men, there can be no doubt to what issue 

 energetic measures would lead. It is only by patient '^ev- 

 suasion, and an avoidance of all misunderstandings, 

 that the government can be carried on in outlying dis- 

 tricts. With such obstacles to contend with, the results 

 must necessarily be slow, but they are more certain than 



