THE CAUCASUS 
tea, so much beloved by the Russians, should be subject to a duty of 
about two shillings per pound, which makes it always dear, while vodka, 
which is a Government monopoly, can be bought for one shilling a bottle; 
it seems a pity that they do not halve the duty on the first and double it 
on the second, as this would contribute considerably to the sobriety of 
the country. Good, but very sweet, jam can be got in any town, and con- 
densed milk is to be procured from the chemist and not from the grocer. 
Although the stores can be got locally without much trouble, a rifle 
the hunter must have, and it is always best to take a spare one, in case of 
accidents. Having once got them through the Customs, should the sports- 
man contemplate returning another season, the best plan probably is 
to leave them in charge of some one at Batoum, as I used to do, thereby 
saving myself much trouble on subsequent visits. After being allowed 
to import arms, I have never been granted any written permission to 
carry them; and having once got them through the Customs, have found 
it [a good plan to pack the rifle cases into large kit bags, as a lot of trouble 
from officious policemen at railway stations may be avoided thereby. 
As regards money for expenses, the safest method is to take a letter 
of credit from London; but it is as well to remember that there are very 
many saints’ days in Russia, when the banks are closed, and time may 
be saved by taking hundred rouble bank notes, procurable in London, but 
this, of course, is more risky. 
There are several ways of getting to the Caucasus, of which I rather 
favour the method of shipping everything by sea to Batoum, and joining 
the same boat at Constantinople by taking the Orient express from 
Ostend. The return journey may be made, for the sake of variety, by the 
coastal steamer from Batoum to Odessa, an interesting trip along the 
north coast of the Black Sea, calling at many ports and giving one a glimpse 
of the Crimea. From Odessa the train can be taken either via Berlin or 
Vienna. Or, again, there is a through “train de luxe’’ from Tiflis to 
Moscow once a week, with the alternative of driving from Tiflis to Vladi- 
kavkaz by the Georgian Road, and joining the railway there. By the last- 
mentioned route a grand view of the mountains may be obtained, and I 
believe there is now a good motor car service established. 
The Russian trains, though slow, are comfortable, and many of them 
have good restaurant cars attached, but these are generally overcrowded, 
as they admit the passengers of every class. 
The Russian Ordnance maps, which can be procured from Stanford, in 
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