424 The Hunting Grounds 



beautiful, with finely-chiselled features, lustrous eyes, 

 and pearly teeth, which they disclosed in gracious 

 and fascinating smiles, that lighted up their faces with 

 the most bewitching radiance. They wore no head- 

 dress, generally speaking, except their luxuriant 

 tresses, which flowed in unconfined freedom over 

 their shoulders, although during my stay among them 

 I noticed some in jaunty-looking scarlet caps. Their 

 hands were beautiful, and when they walked their 

 flowing drapery revealed the exquisite symmetry of 

 their legs and feet, which throughout the world are 

 unrivalled. We all sat down in a semicircle in 

 front of the door of my hut, the women a little dis- 

 tance behind the men, and, after Hoossain and Ab- 

 dulla had served the greater part of the assembly 

 with coffee, " chibouks " were lighted, when, with an 

 air of great ceremony, I commenced a speech in 

 Turkish, eked out with Hindostanee, which was 

 translated by Abdulla for the benefit of that part 

 of my audience who could not understand the former 

 language. 



I explained my views; announcing my intention of 

 exploring the El-Bruz (which I could see caused 

 supercilious smiles amongst some of the party), and 

 finished off by presenting the chief with a pair of 

 brass-mounted pistols, a looking-glass, some scarlet 

 cloth, and a piece of gold-lace for his harem. 

 Although evidently much pleased with my little 



