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BATUM TO TIFLIS 75
I took the opportunity to slip off quietly up the road leading
to the church of the Holy Cross, which stands all alone high
up above the valley on the steep mountain. Dupuis and
Quisling followed, and presently the fat journalist who had
accompanied us from Tiflis came hurrying after, and also
another man who was said to be particularly well up in the
history of the church. It was a stiff climb, and the day was
uncommonly warm. On reaching a ridge somewhat below
the church wc were surprised to see a small lake in front of
us, covered all round the shore by a white, shining crust. It
looked like ice, but could only be precipitated salt. The lake
occupied a depression with no outlet ; but the rain-water
flowing into it from the surrounding slopes was evidently
not greater than the amount which evaporated in this dry
climate from its small open surface, which. indeed, was further
reduced by the deposit of salt round the margin.
Wc resumed our climb up to the church. By this time our
amiable friend the fat journalist, who had put a handkerchief
on his round bald head, seemed to be almost melting from
the heat ; but he still toiled on bravely behind us up the
steep ascent.
The church stands at the very edge of an almost perpen
dicular precipice which drops down to the banks of the
Aragva and the Kura far below. Where it is accessible from
the mountain behind it was once surrounded by a high wall
with watch-towers, a common protection in this country, and
one which was highly necessary against the robber bands who
used to descend like a whirlwind from the mountains, plunder
ing and destroying wherever they came. The wall is now in
ruins, and only remnants of it are still standing. The church
itself is fairly well preserved, and the scaffolding wc saw round
its dome-tower suggested that it is kept in repair. A couple
of rooms in the ruins of the old wall are tenanted by a monk,
who acts as the caretaker of the church, and probably at
certain prescribed times rings the big church bells hanging
under a frame of huge gnarled tree-trunks on the green
outside it.
According to Georgian historians the building was com-
menced by Mthavar (i.e. ruler) Stephan I after a.d. 590, and
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