THE CAUCASIAN CAPUA. 379 



by perishing miserably in tlie vast steppe whicli stretches 

 inland from the north-western shores of the Caspian. We 

 drove slowly through the ford, gazing with wondering 

 eyes at what looked to us, unused to any building larger 

 than a Tartar 'aoul,' the temples and palaces covering the 

 opposite hillside. Our driver, lashing his horses into a 

 final spurt, gallo^Ded up a street lined with two-storied 

 European houses, past dozens of shop-signs, and then round 

 a sharp corner, where the blue domes of the cathedral, 

 surmounted by chain-hung crosses of gold, glistened in 

 the moonlight. To our astonishment the horses turned 

 into the courtyard of a massive building with an Ionic 

 portico, and we found that this palatial pile was the hotel. 

 Never probably before this night had such a queer-looking 

 crew demanded admission of Mademoiselle Caruta, the 

 daughter of the worthy Italian who owns the establishment. 

 With a discrimination which did her great credit, she recog- 

 nised at once our true character, showed us rooms, and sug- 

 gested, in Circean tones, that we should probably like some 

 supper. It was 11 p.m., and we had thought that our travel- 

 Avorn garments would not be exposed to public gaze till the 

 next morning, when we might insome degree have furbished 

 them up. To our surprise the restaurant was crowded with 

 Russian officers in fuU uniform (when are they not ? ) and, 

 worse still, ladies in evening costumes. Dazzled by the 

 blaze of candles and looking-glasses, and puzzled by the 

 j)rofusion of good things suddenly placed at our disposal, 

 we retired hastily to the nearest table, and having ordered 

 our food, tried to look as if we were not conscious of being 

 dusty, travel-stained, and about the colour of Red Indians. 

 The contrast, characteristic of Russia, between an excess 

 of luxury and a lack of the commonest articles of civilisation, 

 is seen in its most exaggerated form in the Caucasian pro- 

 vinces. As we sat surrounded by all the luxuries of civilisa- 



