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•210 THE EXPLORATION OF THE CAUCASUS smoothed logs are not uncommon, and have increased in number since domestic warfare has ceased, and with it the need of dwellings at least externally fireproof. The country is rich, strange as it may seem, in churches. The reader must not, however, let his fancy be wrought on by the i'amiliar sound of the word and imaoine buildings answering in anv TRIPTYCH AT MESTIA respect to the church of Western Europe. The Suanetian churches, in dimensions and external aspect, are more on the scale of Italian roadside chapels. They have no towers ; where they are hung bells exist on a wooden framework outside the church. This arrangement is common also in Corsica. The average dimen- sions of the internal nave are about 25 by 20 feet. There is commonly a porch ; at Latal a portico, as at St. Mark's of Venice, runs round three sides of the building. The apse is shut
SLTANETIA 211 off by au iconostasis or screen ; it varies in external form and decoration. At Lenjer the apse is hexagonal ; in one of the chapels at Lata! semicircular and decorated with a colonnade in low- relief The interior, and sometimes the exterior, are frescoed in a style varying from pure Byzantine to what in Italy might be called Giottesque. The roof is often decoi'ated with representations of the heavenly bodies, on a blue gi'ound. A large wooden cross, covered with silver repousse plates, is sometimes found in front of the iconostasis. There are few Georgian features in the architec- ture, and it appears at least probable that the builders were rather under direct Byzantine influence. In these chm-ches are preserved, under the jealous guard of the village elders, a number of very interesting objects, including manuscripts of great antiquity. Many of them have been described in detail and depicted in the work of M. de Bernoville, already referred ti:i. Among the treasures he was allowed to inspect were the following. At Ushkul, smaE bronzes, apparently Roman, Per- sian money, Persian silk embroidered with six figures of the sun, ancient arrows and weapons. At the deserted monastery of St. Quiricus, near Kalde, he found arrows, figures in silver or silver-gilt, a magnificent Greek manuscript, attributed by M. de Bernoville to the sixth or seventh century (its stibject is not stated), a silver box in the form of a book, used for the preservation of the sacred elements, having on one side the Crucifixion, with the Virgin and St. John and two angels, represented in cloisonne enamel on a silver ground. The workmanship is said to be of the highest order. The border is set with uncut precious stones ; on the reverse side is a scene which seems to be the descent of Christ into Hades. M. de Bernoville, who has figured this case in his volume, describes it, however, as the Resurrection of Lazarus. I am inclined to believe that this may be the object, the removal of which by a Rtissian oflicial became known throughout Suanetia, and led to almost insuperable difiiculties being placed in the way of later travellers desirous of investigating any church treasures. At Mestia we read of two j^rocessional crosses, a number of very beautiful old repousse silver pictures with Georgian inscrip-
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•210 THE EXPLORATION OF THE CAUCASUS<br />
smoothed logs are not uncommon, and have increased in number<br />
since domestic warfare has ceased, and with it the need of<br />
dwellings at least externally fireproof.<br />
The country is rich, strange as it may seem, in churches. The<br />
reader must not, however, let his fancy be wrought on by the<br />
i'amiliar sound of the word and imaoine buildings answering in anv<br />
TRIPTYCH AT MESTIA<br />
respect to the church of Western Europe. The Suanetian churches,<br />
in dimensions and external aspect, are more on the scale of<br />
Italian roadside chapels. They have no towers ; where<br />
they are hung<br />
bells exist<br />
on a wooden framework outside the church. This<br />
arrangement is common also in Corsica. The average dimen-<br />
sions of the internal nave are about 25 by 20 feet. There<br />
is commonly a porch ; at Latal a portico, as at St. Mark's of<br />
Venice, runs round three sides of the building. The apse is shut
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