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120 THE EXi'LORATION UF THE CAUCASUS
we once found the archives to consist of letters from the Russian
Priestav to the Starshina, of which, as the latter was ignorant of
any language but a Georgian patois, not a word had been read.
The Master of the Rolls at Gebi was somewhat obstinate, and had
finally to be ejected by the door, while his sheepskin went through
the wnndow. Much impressed by this summaiy eviction, he soon
came back to offer to serve as our caterer.
The new church, though a poor enough specimen of modern
Georgian architecture, gives an air of civilisation to the village. A
NEW CHCRCH AT GEBI
priest has been appointed,
who talks Russian, and ad-
dressed me constantly as
'
Professor.' An influential
native desired me to visit a
sparkling iron spring close
by,
said not to be inferior
to the famous Narzan or
Giant's Sprmg at Kislo-
vodsk, and suggested that
I should start a bathing
establishment. Here was
gratifying evidence of the
march of ideas. Let the
proprietors of Apollinaris beware. Materially, too, we were excel-
lently provided. In place of the interminable bargaining required of
old to get a dozen eggs, and the necessity of paying the owner of each
hencoop separately in exactly the right number of kopeks, we wei'e
able to procure beef and fowls, potatoes and vegetables, flour, sugar
and capital wine, at fair
prices. Horses were at our disposal when
wanted, and I believe we might even have secured porters v^dth less
than two days' discussion. Yet there was one luxui-y, as of old
unobtainable, one point on which the manners of the men of Gebi
were still the same. This population of pedlars have no mean idea
of their own merits or of the value of their opinions : their time and
other people's they value less. They are, in their own estimation at
least, the Athenians of the Caucasus, and there is no new thing