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TRAVEL AND MUUXTAIN EERING IN ST^ANETIA 24.-)
or courthouse, sometimes placed at the disposal of travellers. The
slopes of the valley of the Dola torrent are well wooded, its
bottom is open and cultivated, and tlie towers of two considerable
villages rise among its meadows. The view up it is closed by the
great peaks of Ushba. Their vertical height
house is 10,700 feet, and their distance under ten miles.
above the court-
The attraction of T^shba. which acts as a candle to the
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, BETSHO
Alpine moths who gyrate round it, careless of all else that lies close
at hand, genei'ally keeps English visitors at Betsho. It affords,
however, from many points of view, the worst quarters in Suanetia.
ProAnsions are scai'ce, and horses or porters often unprocurable.
The natives being accustomed, perhaps, to be requisitioned for
public services, are not eager to meet the requirements of the
Priestav's euests, and in that official's absence his subordinates
It is
are not always cordial in their reception of strangers.
possible, however, to get large Russian loaves baked here, and