ting-place. A natural rocky bridge led across the roaring
flood. Many a friendly hut, the inhabitants of which looked forth
with stealthy curiosity upon the strange visitors, lay half hidden
between the lofty walls. And so our way continued; valley lay
bordered on valley, and the little river which ran bubbling by the
roadside led us past gardens and villages, through a region of
surpassing loveliness, to the great village of Zabdeni, where we at
length halted, after an uninterrupted ride of ten hours and a half.

The escort which accompanied us consisted of twelve men, with a
superior and a petty officer. These troopers looked very
picturesque when, as we travelled along the level road, they went
through some small manoeuvres for our amusement, rushing along on
their swift steeds and attacking each other, one party flying across
the plain, and the other pursuing them as victors.

The character of these children of nature is, on the whole, a very
amiable one. They behaved towards us in an exceedingly friendly and
courteous manner, bringing us fruit and water whenever they could
procure them, leading us carefully by the safest roads, and shewing
us as much attention as any European could have done. But their
idea of _mine_ and _thine_ does not always appear to be very clearly
defined. Once, for instance, we passed through fields in which grew
a plant resembling our pea, on a reduced scale. Each plant
contained several pods, and each pod two peas. Our escort picked a
large quantity, ate the fruit with an appearance of great relish,
and very politely gave us a share of their prize. I found these
peas less tender and eatable than those of my own country, and
returned them to the soldier who had offered them to me, observing
at the same time that I would rather have had mish-mish. On hearing
this he immediately galloped off, and shortly afterwards returned
with a whole cargo of mish-mish and little apples, which had
probably been borrowed for an indefinite period from one of the
neighbouring gardens. I mention these little circumstances, as they
appeared to me to be characteristic. On the one hand, Mr. S. had
been threatened with the fate of St. Stephen for wishing to make a
few sketches; and yet, on the other, these people were so kind and
so ready to oblige.

This region produces abundance of fruit, and is particularly rich in
mish-mish, or apricots. The finest of these are dried; while those
which are ov