Here may be found the ibex, the stag, the wild
boar, the wild bull and an infinite variety of feathered game. The
animal life of the mountains has, in fact, become more abundant
of late years on account of the high charges for hunting licenses
fixed by the Russian Government. Wolves are so plentiful that in
severe winters they descend to the lowlands in great packs and
rob the flocks before the very eyes of the shepherds.
The most important mineral resources of the region are the oil
wells; here, in fact, around Batum, are situated some of the most
important oil fields in the world. Of manganese ore, an essential
of the steel industry, the Caucasus furnishes half of the world's
supply, which is exported from the two ports of Poti and Batum. Its
mineral wealth seems to be practically unlimited, copper, zinc, iron,
tin, and many other metals being found throughout the region, in
most cases in exceedingly rich deposits. The agricultural resources
are not so important, especially from a military point of view,
though vast quantities of sheep are raised in the highlands in the
spring and summer, the flocks being driven down into the plains
to the south in winter.
One of the outstanding features of Russian occupation is the great
Georgian military road which has been built across the mountains of
recent years and maintained by the Government. Its engineering is
masterly; here and there it passes close to or under vast overhanging
lumps of mountainside.
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