BRIDGE OF THE BAMBEK. 
161 
to the brethren of the holy order of Dominicans. A village stands 
near it, thriving and populous, I was told; and to the activity 
and industry of its peasantry, the adjoining little plain, with its 
neighbouring hills and glens, owed their fine state of cultivation. 
Of course, these villagers are under the cognisance, or charge at 
least, of the good fathers above them. The monastery of Akpet, 
and another at Sennany, are the two monastic establishments, of 
the greatest consequence in Georgia. 
After proceeding some wersts, we re-crossed the river, in front 
of a most terribly precipitous mountain, over which our road lay ; 
but this time, we crossed by a bridge : it was built of stone, and 
consisted of one arch ; the work, unquestionably, of the Arme¬ 
nian sovereigns, when this part of Georgia was under their 
jurisdiction, civil and religious. The architecture of the bridge 
is curious, and the style of the Christian emblems, which are 
sculptured on it, sufficiently testify its origin. Both ends are 
so abrupt in ascent, they would hardly be practicable at all, 
were it not for flights of steps by which they are faced. At one 
side of the western extremity of these steps, where they clasp 
the bank of the river, I observed a high upright, hewn, stone; 
which, on examination, proved to be covered with Christian 
insignia, worked in the stone. The most eminent was the cross • 
and round it, fretwork, with other figures, carved in a very 
masterly manner. Before we passed over the bridge, I had re¬ 
marked two similar stones, on that side : one was raised on a 
pile of large stones, and had, in addition to an engraved cross, 
some inscriptions, in the old Armenian character; the other 
stone, sculptured in the same way, lay on the ground, not far 
from it. 
'Y 
VOL. i. 
