Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-13
,eoeraphers and to strategists than to
SWITZERLAND.

the public.
The grand divide, called "Krestovaia
Cora" (The Crest of the Cross. is forty
one miles from Vladicaucas. and upon a
ledge above it, at an altitude Of S.O15 feet,
is an obelisk surmounted by cross at
tributed to Queen Tamara, who ruled
Georgia In the middle ages. and here, il is
said, when that amiable lady tired of a
lover she would have him thrown over the
precipice.
Going north from Tif1is the first place of
interest is Mtzkhet, the ancient capital OF
the Georgian kings. which is now hum
BILE and uninteresting village Of two or
three hundred people. with the ruins of a
large castle. two ancient Greek churches
and other evidences of former greatness.
The place is fourteen miles from This on
the railway to Batoum, and people VINO
care to do so can shorten their journey by
taking a carriage there. although there Is
no decent place to stop. Mtzkhet is said
to have been founded by the ancient Ro-
mans, but the surrounding country was
inhabited by a prehistoric race OF cave
dwelIers. even before the European inva-
sion. The limestone cliffs of the foothllis
chambers have been chiseled out similar
to those in the cliffs of Arizona and were
evidently Inhabited by large population.
Oldest of Races.
The Georgians claim to be the oldest of
races. They trace their origin to Conner,
son of Japhet, son of Noah, who came
into this country Immediately after the
de!uge ION Nakhikhevan, where Noah
and his family settled after landing from
the ark. They were converted to Chris
tianity by st. Nina in the fourth century.
and according to their own account their
ancestors reached an advanced stage OF
civilization and rivaled the Greeks in lit
erature and in art. But in all their his
tory there seems to have been only one
of their sovereigns of whom they are
proud. and that was Queen Tamara. VINO
ruled all the territory between the Black
and Caspian seas. south OF the Caucasus
mountains. from 11S4 to 1912.
That was the golden age of Georgia.
lamar seems to have been a mixture or
masculine energy and courage and femi-
nine loneliness and grace-a Cleopatra
and a Joan Of Arc at the same time
combining the virtues of Queen Elizabeth
and the vices OF Catherine II. Her por-
traits are found in every household; she
is credited with founding every monas-
terry and every church of age. and seems
to have had a castle in every corner OF
the country. Her throne may be seen In
that extraordinary collection of trophies
of conquest in the kremlin, at MOSCOW.
Independent Until 1901.
The Georgians maintained their indie
pGuuSIlCe UiltIl AOOls WiOh NhSS "SiS ~
duced to such extremities in defending
themselves against the Persians that the
king asked the protection of the Rus
sian car. who has occupied the country
ever since.
Prince Aragya. the present representa-
tive of the Georgian dynasty. a great
great-grandson Of George XIII, who re-
nounced his authority in favor of the
Russian emperor in 1901. lives at Don
Chef, at the southern entrance to the
Darrell pass, an agricultural town OF
about $500 inhabitants. He has large
estates and an abundance of money, and
the Russian authorities treat him with
distinction. He spends most of his time
in St. Petersburg and Paris. but cult.
Yates through his agents large ano
productive estate. He is said to nave no
ambition but pleasure and realizes
good deal of that.