Photo from George Kennan 



A TATAR WITH BUFFALO 



Caucasus and cross the great range into 

 Kakhetia at a height of 12,000 feet. Here 

 apparently was the opportunity I had 

 been longing for. 



I called at once on Prince Djordjadzi, 

 introduced myself as an American trav- 

 eler, explained my plans, and requested 

 permission to join his party. The prince, 

 a fine-looking, gray-haired man, 55 or 60 

 years of age, began at first to make ob- 

 jections, on the ground that I had had 

 no mountain experience and was unac- 

 customed to the fatigue and hardship 

 that such a journey would involve. 

 When, however, I had given him a hasty 

 account of my explorations in Kam- 

 chatka and northeastern Siberia, he 

 yielded, rather ungraciously, and said: 

 ''Get yourself some heavy riding boots, 

 a horse-hair cloak (burka), and a pair 

 of saddle-bags, and be prepared to leave 

 here tomorrow afternoon at half past 

 one." 



I hurried back to my hotel, bought the 

 necessary equipment, sold or gave away 



all of my clothing that could not be car- 

 ried on horseback, and before night my 

 preparations were complete. At 2 o'clock 

 on the following afternoon Prince Djord- 

 jadzi sent one of his aides to my room 

 to tell me that his party was ready to 

 start. 



PICTURi:SQUi: TRAVEUNG C0STUME:S 



The scene presented by the courtyard 

 of the governor's house when I reached 

 there was, to American eyes, a most 

 novel and striking one. 



Prince Djordjadzi, in a muff-shaped 

 hat of Persian lamb's-wool and a green 

 silk khalat confined at the waist with a 

 massive silver belt, stood on the veranda 

 of the governor's house, talking with 

 General Tergukasof and three or four 

 other officers in the briUiant uniform of 

 the Caucasian staff; 25 or 30 moun- 

 taineers, in long-skirted maroon coats 

 adorned with rows of ivory cartridge 

 tubes, high cylindrical hats of black curly 

 wool, white stormhoods of felted camel's 



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