The valley of the Rion thus far is densely wooded, and being thinly populated the wayfarers we met were few, but we passed a prince of Letchgoumm and suite, travelling with a paity of friends. His secretary headed the procession, an armed retainer being some distance in front; then came the prince followed by his guests, the suite bringing up the rear, all well armed, the prince carrying a revolver besides his native weapons. While the prince was engaged in conversation with the Colonel, two men who approached on horseback dismounted and passed by on foot, a mark of respect never neglected by the peasantry when they meet members or relatives of the late reigning families, and Russian officials of rank.
At Dertchy, where the valley widens considerably, I noticed the first signs of cultivation since leaving Koutals, but the land is only partly cleared, there being a remarkable absence of any attempt at systematic agriculture. We rested the horses at the hamlet of Mekveny, the southern limit of Letchgoumm, and proceeded to Orkvy, where a superb range of cliffs that lie east and west reach to the magnificent gorge of Tvyshy, formed of bold rocks rising almost perpendicularly to a height of 1,500 feet above the bed of the river, here contracted to the width of a few yards, the path above the right bank having been practised at great labour in the rock. At a place called Alpaty we mounted horses, the road hence to Lyaylyash being somewhat trying to beasts in by Google harness, and turning suddenly to the left we entered another gorge, throi^h which, in a succession of waterfalls, runs the river Ladjanoura; it is an exquisitely picturesque pass, shaded and even obscured by the trees and shrubs that overhang the watercourse at every imaginable angle, as they project from the craggy sides. The ascent from this pass to the village of Lyaylyash situated on a plateau i,ooo feet above the valley of the ladjanoura, in some parts laboriously steep, extends over a distance of 6J miles, yet the entire route between Kout^ls to Lyaylyash may certainly be considered a very fair carriageable mountain road. Half-way up the ascent, we were met by Madame Hrinewsky, who had ridden out to meet her husband, and when we reached the house at half-past seven, I met with a truly warm reception at the hands of my kind hosts,
Agreeable news greeted the Colonel upon his arrival, for a noted Swanny highwayman who had long eluded capture, was at last in custody and on his way to Ony to await his trial.
Lyaylyash, where the present Dadian has a shooting-box, was formerly a fortress and residence of the princes of Mingrelia. On the common near the little church, is a stone slab 8 feet in length and proportionately broad, at which the monarch of days gone by was wont to beguile his time by playing at draughts, with river pebbles for his men. Lyaylyash is now the chief village of the district of Letchgoumm, the population of ^vhich is supposed to be Christian.
Metis names in Letchgoumm.
Myhako, Eghyatt, Yerdjestcliann, Ambaco, Zourapp, Meraba, Katzya, Gouahounya, Kakoutchya, Goshna.
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Women's names in Letcltgoumnu
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But there are also many Jews in Letchgoumm,* and especially at Lyaylyash, where the lai^est building is their synagogue, and they own every stall at the bazaar; they are the principal traders, visit Swannety yearly with gotJds which they barter for cattle and hides, dress like the rest of the natives, and speak the same Georgian dialect of the Imeritians, but employ Hebrew characters in their books and writings. There are also a few Armenians at Lyaylyash.
A day was spent in completing the necessary preparations; b^^age horses were engaged at 10 roubles each for the term of a fortnight, on the stipulation that the owners were not to accompany their beasts, and the escort was ordered to be in readiness on the following day.
The next morning set in stormy and wet, but the weather cleared up sufficiently in the afternoon to enable the Colonel to decide upon starting at five o'clock, at which hour we left Lyaylyash, bearing away with us the good wishes of the ladies for a pleasant journey and speedy return. Our party led off in the following order — First rode the mamasakfysy of Lyaylyash; next the interpreter, after him the secretary, then the Colonel, whom I shall in future designate the Chief, and myself; the servants and three Cossacks brought up the rear. The ba^^e horses had