The New York herald., 1870-07-29


spy was requested to strip and place himself on
the table in presence of the congregation. After
he had lain down he was firmly hound To the,
table, and the operator, dressed Ike priest mi
full robes, took up his instruments and prepared
to consummate that which would admit the spy
into the brotherhood Of the SkOptsi AT this
moment the spy gave the preconcerted signal
and the soldiers on the watch outside rushed to-
the door. But the outer door had been locked and
barrcaded the brotherhood had become ac-
qualnted with the spys intentions aud before the
soldiers could break it, despite the struggles and
shrleks OF the hapless man, the deed was per-
formed and he was forever q eunuch. According
to their customs the parents can only have one
child. This is the fnrthest limit which they allow
themselves, after which they are both father and
mother, rend red incapable OF generating their
kind
LOORIGN FOR H0TRL
II was no pleasant thing for me % see my mill,
tary friends seated in the diligence and myself
left behind knowing but half dozen words Of
Russian. II was sufficient 20 give any one th0
ague to look at the dun clouds above, to feel the
wet drzzle and damp, and hear the chant OF count>
less bullirogs and their countless progeny to seq
tae silmny mud andwet wooden cottages around-
My knowledge of Turkish was OF use To me here,
as IT was in the Crimea, for there are number Of
Tartars in Orper and there exists but slight diff
ference between Tartar and Turkish. Yes, there
was hotel at Orperi This consoled me for the
want Of friends. Had the conductor Of the dill.
gence been my friend or had met him but two
three days before and given him cigar or teas
",
but heul had not that honor or privilege. Had
! but telegraphed from P0ti to the VAIN conducts
or-for vain must assume he was, otherwise why
did he set such store by his acquaintanca
with Russian military officers who had
an aristocratc look and high rank-l should have
had seat Or, had the conductor done his duty
should have had a seat; for the passengers whd
travel first class by the steamers on the Rion ard
entitled 10 the choice of seats in the diligence. But
there was hotel at Orperi. SO much the better1
Otherwise, the black ooze which so much con3
temned had been my bed that night. white
eunuch carried my baggage 70 the hotel. Tho
hotel God forbid that / should class those blessed
institutions, which have many times and f04
years been my home, with that beggarly cabin az
Orperi. There were four rooms in the cabin-4
one without a bed but had a creaking bodsteadi
which was given to me for the sum OF seventy
five cents silver. 1t was cold IA at Odessa in tho
latter part of February; but the fireplace was OUT
of ORDER therefore l could have no lire. With
the vrtuous resolution to be IA great iIE
moral courage as l was on my first arri5
val in Abyssinia, laid myself on the creaking
bedstead, though 1t was but i've o'clocA
in the afternoon, and am proud TO say ! slept
slept until five o'clock next morning. Those OF
the HERALD readers who may, perchance be in1
duced TO visit the Caucasus by reading OF thesai
things about which write In SO equable framd
Of mind let them beware, if they can, of the hor1
r0rs of Orperi. Orperi IL the Eden where Mark
Tapley and Martin Chuzzlewit developed theirs
true characters. For the sum of 81 50 secured al
private carriage to take me TO kutais. BY thiA
act Of extravaganza ! have secured many ady
mirers, for 1t was the only private carriage IN
Orpen.
Ten minutes after leaving the station Of thei
Skoptsl exies the sun gradually appeared, striking
the earth with fierce warmth, scattering the dun
clouds and drzzling mist and chills of winter with
his glorious brightness, and tnting each tree and
leaf and shrub and flower with the hues of springA
| was glad Of this, otherwise | should have beeni
skeptcal as to whether the sun shone above,
Orperi.
TO KUTAIs,
I was driving through INERTIA on this my jonrS
ney from Orperi to kutais. Inertia Is much mOrd
pleasant to live in than Mingrelia and in the mat-
ter of beauty Of the women both provinces aro3
much the same, though perhaps Mingrelia would
claim and obtain the palm But the people Oh
Inertia and Mingrelia have lately intermarriedJ
ever since the possession of the country by thei
Russians 1t is the male sex only in Inertia that
i II aSGTe & all the s natons
he might do good thing by coming to this prog
vince and hire half dozen boys and half dozeN
men to obtain the prize of beauty. II French of
fcers did but have the legs Of the Imeritians what
lady. they would be, to be aure;,
or II the Italian dandies but had theI
elegance OF waists which they are at
30 much pains Ito acquire, which these,
poor peasants have, or if some of the officers Of
the gallant Seventh New York but had the beauty
and stature of the Imertan peasants, what 1uti
ter among the galaxies Of gentle girls on Fifth
avenue for ever afterwards The youths are like
girls dressed in the bloomer costume but they are
not eieminate by any means. On the contrary.
they are as large boned as the youths of "Oid,
Kentuck." They are 'goodlooking nay, comcly
as If they were all brothers Of Narcissus. ),
TOPOGRAPHY.
The aspect Of the country is peculiarly happy in
spring, and must be at all seasons except winter.
The shrubs and plants, rhododendroms as tall as
the height Of man, and brier bushes, seem to-
spring up spontaneously. The ground is quite
level up to Kutais, and the soil is Of the richest
which the Caucasus possesses. The Rion flows
through the centre of the valley, which is about
nd
Kutais The Caucasus bounds it north;
wardly, and its many peaks and gullies,
covered with snow, stand out in bold
relief. Running easterly, parallel with the Cau-
casus, is another range but much lower and morei
soft in its outlines, well covered with timber and
all manner of herbs and plants, for even to thisj
day COchis, as In the days Of old, Is famous fort
poisonous and medicinal herbs. In the neghbor-
hood OF kutais the aspect of the valley changcs;i
it becomes an undulating country. hill above hh,t
knoll shouldering knoll, pretty little hollows bed
tween, picturesque looking spots all around, al
piece of an old castle crownng one spur, a ruinedi
convent on top of another spnr and bit of
interesting ruin scattered everywhere The river1
Ron cleaves its way between and among tbcsei
hills and as it leaves its hill world behind dashes
grandly to the broad, level valley with inlnitej
clamor, churning itself into the Wilderness oN
snow as 1t sweeps over its stony bed.
TOLLS.
Before entering Kutais | had TO pay toll for,
using the road which the government had been atl
30 much pains to make. Soldiers were the tol-3
gatherers. Half mile beyond the tollgate the}
town Of Kutas is seen, situated on both sides "a
the river. My first view Of il embraced a broken
down bridge, church in process Of construct 1
two other churches glorious in green paint anQ
swelling domes multitude Of houses and treesj
the latter so numerous that they hide more tha1
half the town from first view.
"LIFE' IN THE MOUNTAINS.
At kutais first began the enjoyment Of life iR
the Caucasus. ! found myself in good society{
There were hotels, one OF which might competd
with any In Paris for the excellence OF its cuisinel
This was the Hotel de France, kept by French}
man, fronting the great square OF the city, Fox
Kutais, you must know Is intensely civilized II
Is like some New England town with high idea
OF its own perfection. Not but what the said
town may be perfect in all the requirements
OF civilization, but still no one likes I'd
see small town ape the manners and style Of 4