Untitled

252 THE EXPLORATION OE THE CAUCASUS
possessions, uiaiiy castles and farm-houses in the valley and
pastures on the hills. His horses are kept in summer at an
establishment in the forest west of the Laila, on a track that leads
to Lentekhi.
He has abandoned his old castle, and built for himself a wooden
house in the form of a large Swiss cottage. An outside staircase
leads through a balcony to a large hall, furnished with heavy
wooden benches and vast chairs, such as might serve as staofe
furniture for Macbeth. The inner apartments are provided with
Persian divans. Meals are served in the hall, and the waiters are
native retainers, who join from time to time in the conversation.
The fare is abundant, and every meal ends with an Oriental dish as
old as Isaiah— curds and honey. The chief ornament of the table is
a noble silver bowl of Persian workmanship. We had as fellow-
guests a Mohammedan chief from the Karatshai, and another
member of the Dadish Kilian family, with a veiy pretty bride from
Kutais. The day after our arrival was Sunday. To our astonish-
ment we were awakened by a church bell. We could hardly believe
that we were in Suanetia. The Georgian priest lately established
at Ezeri held a service in the half-ruinous church, which stands in
a beautiful situation on a brow beyond the village, approached by
an agreeable footpath between the barley-fields. The congregation
muster outside the church. We were too late for the service, but
were allowed to inspect the repousse silver images studded with
rough turquoises still preserved in the interior.
The rest of the day was given over to sj^orts on the green
before the Prince's house. Native spirit, brewed from barley, was
handed round to the men in loving cups, various games were
played, the women danced, and the boys tumbled about with some
young bears which had been caught in the forests.
Our supper, which was seldom served before 10 p.m., was
followed on this occasion by the entrance of a chorus of women,
Avho sang long ballads, dancing
in a circle to the refrain. In these
ballads, and nowhere else, is buried the lost history of Suanetia.
I implored our host to collect and publish them. He summarised
the pui'port of some of them for us. One told how a company of