98 JOURNEY TO THE GEYSERS. 
we should call at a peasant’s house, which was 
but little out of the way, where we might pro¬ 
cure something to apply to the leg of the wound¬ 
ed horse, and at the same time might enquire 
after a guide, who would be able to direct us to 
some remarkable caves in the neighbourhood. 
On reaching the cottage, there was only an old 
woman at home, who, nevertheless, made us 
welcome, and immediately produced some ex¬ 
cellent milk for our refreshment, and some Syre , 
or sour whey, which answered both for washing 
the horse’s wounds, and for drink to our guides. 
There being no man in the way, the woman 
undertook to be our conductor, and, without 
either shoes or stockings on her legs and feet, 
with extraordinary agility, sprung Cross-legs upon 
a spare horse that we had, though destitute of 
saddle and bridle, and took the lead of our little 
cavalcade. She pointed out to us the entrances 
to several large caves, one of which in particular, 
called Undergrandur , is said to penetrate a con¬ 
siderable way into the ground. We alighted 
from our horses, and went in as far as we thought 
it prudent, without lights. The entrance was 
about ten or twelve feet high, and about twice 
that width, but both the height and width in¬ 
creased as we advanced. For some way in, 
the snow had been drifted, and still lay un- 
me lied, intermixed with ice. Beyond this, vast 
