THE NATIVES OF THE CAUCASUS.

93

carries about with him, remind the traveller very forcibly on his arrival at Soukhum or Poti from Odessa that he has left the land where Keating's insect powder is the only defensive weapon needed, and that he would do well to look out his revolver. It is curious that the Russians, who act invariably in a very systematic manner in crushing the hostile spirit of the people they conquer, should have never sought to disarm the inhabitants of the Caucasus. Many of the tribes dwelling between Soukhum and Batoum have revolted times out of number, and even now secretly perpetrate acts of brigandage on the high road; but no attempt is made to take their weapons from them, and they go about Soukhum and Batoum armed to the teeth with Berdan, revolver, and silver-hilted dagger, securing respect from unarmed Russians and terrifying timid European tourists. But if their aspect is warlike, they are a very different class of people from the Afghans or Kurds. Provided he treats them well, and forbears from travelling past their villages at the dead of night, the tourist can rely upon "doing the Caucasus in almost perfect safety. As a rule, their weapons are mainly kept for show or hunting purposes, and if he is a keen sportsman the traveller will be well treated and assisted wherever he goes.

Leaving Soukhum Kalé at eleven o'clock, we coasted pleasantly alongside the mountains-separated from the sea by a swampy beach-all day, and at six in the evening passed Poti, of which from the water little is seen beyond a house or two projecting above a forest marsh. On board the Grand Duke Michael were many passengers bound for Poti, but instead of landing them there, the vessel carried them on to Batoum, where they had to wait until the following day and return by a smaller steamer. This roundabout way of doing busi

ness has been going on for years, without the Black Sea Steam Navigation Company adopting the simple expedient of having a tug to meet the steamer outside Poti to take off the passengers and mails, or the Russian Government compelling it to respond to the clamour of the public to be treated with greater regard for its convenience. Three hours later we arrived at Batoum.

THE RUSSIANS AT BATOUM.

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CHAPTER VII.

THE RUSSIANS AT BATOUM.

Batoum at Night-More Tame than Heroic-Difference between the Caucasus Army and the Army in India-Poti versus Batoum-Drawbacks of Poti-A Costly Mole-History and Future of the Port-Its Rival, Batoum- Extraordinary Development of the Place-The Turkish Defences-Secret Russian Armaments -New Batoum-Russian Improvements-The Bay of Batoum-New Harbour Works in Progress-Mr. Peacock, the British Consul-Benefit Conferred on Russia by Europe in making Batoum a Free Port-The Contraband Trade at Batoum-The Caucasus Transit-How Smuggling is Carried on-The Petroleum Export Trade at Batoum-Export of Oil in 1883-Future of Batoum.

It was about nine o'clock at night (Aug. 24) when the Grand Duke Michael entered Batoum harbour, and took up a station alongside the wooden jetty. Up to that moment we had had excellent weather, but the rain now fell in torrents. "At Batoum," said a resident to us, putting on his macintosh, "it always rains, just as at Baku rain never falls at all." This was a somewhat exaggerated way of putting the case, but, generally speaking, for the greater part of the year, wet weather prevails in the Batoum corner of the Black Sea, while extreme dryness is the characteristic of the Caspian at Baku. The backbone of the Lesser Caucasus, running south-west of the Great Caucasus range, divides the Transcaucasian region into two wholly different climates -as widely diverse in their characteristics as Devonshire and Sahara. Batoum catches the rain from the heavily laden clouds from the Black Sea striking against the mountains at its rear, while Baku lies entirely open to