Geography and Travel. 629 
GENERAL NOTES. 
GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL! 
Asta, Erc.—Suanetia.—The first article in the June issue of 
i f M 
the Proceedings Royal Geographical Society is that o r 
ts 0. These glaciers send down to the Ingur or its tributaries 
many ice-streams, such as the Adish, which in the Alps would rank 
as a first-class glacier. On either flank of the rigid granites lie 
beds of friable schists, whose summits present green rounded out- 
lines, and exhibit a striking contrast to the snowy precipices of the 
great chain. South of Suanetia rises the lofty slate ridge of the 
eila, which runs parallel to the main chain, and attains elevations 
of 12,000 feet. At its western end this ridge bears some con- 
siderable glaciers. The river escapes from the valley at its western 
end, tween high spurs of the two chains, and through a narrow 
porphyritic gorge not at present passable for horses. To the east 
a valley of Suanetia terminates in a low grassy down (8,600 
= only 1,600 feet above the highest villages, and beyond this 
les a pathless waste of forests and flowers—the wilderness in which 
Pui the Skenes Skali, a tributary of the Rion (the ancient 
hasis). But this outlet is so circuitous that both Russians and 
nea have preferred the higher and steeper Latpari Pass (9,200 
eet), which is the usual route into the valley. 
e natives of this secluded spot are first mentioned by Strabo 
under the name of Soani, and the received text credits them with 
Pes ies fighting men. Strabo says that the king had a council of 
tk j and that the tribe used poisoned arrows in war. Whatever 
et ormer strength of the nation, the Suaneti, as they now call 
emselves, did not number more than 12,000 at the last census. 
! Edited by W. N. Lockington, Philadelphia, Pa. 
