444 RETURX TO TIFLIS. 



prevented us from fully carrying it out. We can there- 

 fore say nothing of Kakhctia, a broad valley teeming with 

 corn and wine, and overlooked by the snowy mountain-wall 

 of the Eastern Caucasus, Avhich was described to us by some 

 of the residents at Tifiis, in the most glowing terms, as 

 little short of an earthly j)aradise. We had also to give 

 up all thoughts of attacking Basardjusi (a peak of 14,700 

 feet, surrounded by others exceeding 13,000 feet, all of 

 which are still unclimbed), and of exploring the district of 

 which it is the centre, which we had been assured by Herr 

 Abich we should find well worthy of a visit. 



The question now before us was by what route we should 

 return to the coast of the Black Sea, and our enquiries 

 resulted in the determination to send some of our luggage 

 with Francois direct to Kutais, while we, leaving the 

 highroad at Suram, followed the valley of the Kur to 

 Borjom and Achaltzich, and thence rode across the hills 

 to Kutais. To effect the arrangements necessary for the 

 execution of this plan we had to pay many visits to the 

 various official bureaux, where the employes seemed to 

 have acquired a skill in the art of ' how not to do it,' which 

 could scarcely be surpassed even at home. At last the 

 various ' podorojnos,' j)olice orders, and passports were all 

 procured, and we had only to consign our heavy portman- 

 teaux, and a box of purchases, to the care of the agent of 

 the Black Sea Steam Navigation Company, through whom 

 we subsequently received them in England. 



In the intervals when we were not engaged in the 

 preparations for our homeward journey, we found time to 

 call on Herr E.adde, one of the few residents who hapjDened 

 to be in Tiflis at this time of year. We also visited the 

 studio of a Eussian painter, who has boldly taken for his 

 subjects the scenery of the Dariel and the highest moun- 

 tains of tKe Caucasus, and were glad to carry away with us 



