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166 ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
redeeming water flow through ; and one could picture it
filling the canals out on the plain and spreading its life-giving
streams far and wide over the thirsty soil.
But now it was time to get back to our places under the
platform, where speeches were made by the President of
Armenia and many others ; I was called upon to say a few
words, and the President of Georgia conveyed the congratula
tions of the neighbouring republic. It was truly a great day,
marking the completion of an undertaking which created the
necessary conditions for thousands of new and happy hornes.
Then it was over, and the migration recommenced in the
opposite direction. Wc made our way to our motor-cars,
and drove across the fields down to the canal, where the water
was now flowing at a great rate. On every side were happy
multitudes enjoying the sight, many of the men and boys
bathing in the new river, while the women sat on the banks
dangling their feet in it. Some of the water from this canal
was to be conducted through a pipe down into the valley of
the Arpa-chai for a new power-station, the foundation-stone
of which was laid by the President on the same occasion.
The work as a whole, including the dam, the tunnel, and
the canal, made a favourable impression, and our expert,
Mr. Dupuis, had nothing but praise for it ; the undertaking
was carefully thought out, cleverly planned, and well carried
out ; one could see that there was an old-established tradition
of irrigation in the country. Moreover, the work had been
done at a surprisingly low cost. The whole thing had tåken
about half a million working-days of three shifts, and the
total expenditure had been 1,300,000 roubles (about £135,000).
The tunnel, which, as already stated, was z\ kilometres long,
cost about 300,000 roubles (£31,000) the kilometre.
As wc motored homewards it was quite touching to see
the delight of everybody. They had settled down in groups
in the fields, and, håving made small fires of dry grass or
whatever they could flnd, were cooking various delicacies
over them. Gaiety and happiness prevailed everywhere, but
there was no disorder or excess. A large crowd of men had
gathered round two musicians playing a bagpipe and a drum.
In the middle some of them were dancing ; one or two per-
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