A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. II - Robert Kerr
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I left Lenczycz on the 14th of April, on my journey through Poland, which
is a flat country, ornamented with many forests; but the great want of
convenient lodgings is a sure proof that it is not very fertile, nor much
abounding in the necessaries of life. On the 19th I arrived at Lublin, a
tolerable city, defended by a citadel. The three sons of the king resided
there at this time for their education. The eldest of these princes was
about fourteen years of age, and the two others considerably younger.
Learning that they wished to see me, providing that their father had not
forbidden, I waited upon them, and was received with much politeness, the
eldest conversing with me in the most obliging manner, and I observed that
they behaved with much respect to their preceptor. I took my leave of them,
returning thanks for their civilities, and they parted from me with as
much courtesy as I had experienced in my reception. Leaving Lublin, and
continuing our journey through Poland, we arrived on the 20th of April in
lower Russia, which is subject to the king of Poland. In this part of our
journey we travelled five whole days through thick woods, and, except
meeting with a very few castles, we lodged for the most part in country
houses. On the 25th, we came to a town named _Jusch_, which is defended by
a wooden castle. We rested here for some time, yet not without danger, as
the inhabitants were quite mad with drunkenness, on account of celebrating
certain marriages. This country produces no wine, but the natives prepare
a liquor from honey, which is stronger and more intoxicating even than
wine. Leaving this place, we came to another village named _Aitomir_, in
which likewise there is a wooden castle. During the whole of our journey
of the 29th, we travelled through forests, in constant danger of robbers
who infested all the roads, and we knew not where to pass the night, or to
procure any refreshments, insomuch that we had to sleep in the woods,
keeping strict watch lest we might be surprised by the banditti. On the
30th of April we reached _Belligraoch_, which signifies the _white_ fort,
where we were lodged in the royal palace, and passed the night with much
inconvenience.
On the first of May we reached the city of _Kiow_[7], or Magraman. The
governor of this city, which stands beyond the frontiers of Polish Russia,
was a Polander and Catholic, named _Pamartin_. Immediately on learning my
arrival from the guides sent along with me by the king, he appointed me a
lodging, which was sufficiently small, considering the size of the city.
He here visited me, and sent me a sufficient supply of provisions. This
city serves as a barrier or frontier garrison against the Tartars, and is
celebrated for a great fair, to which the merchants bring rich furs, and
other goods from Upper Russia. From hence the merchants travel in a large
caravan to Caffa or Theodosia in the Crimea; but are often surprised and
very ill treated by the Tartars during their journey. The country about
Kiow abounds in grain and cattle. The inhabitants of this place occupy the
whole day in their affairs till three o'clock, employing all the rest,
till night, in drinking and quarrels, the natural consequence of
drunkenness. On the day of my arrival, governor Pamartin sent some of his
gentlemen to invite me to dinner, which I accepted with as much politeness
as I could express. He received me very honourably, offering me every
service in his power, in the most obliging manner; saying, that he was
ordered by the king of Poland to treat me in every thing as well as
possible; on which I thanked him for his polite attentions, and
endeavoured to recommend myself to his friendship. From him I was informed
that he was in daily expectation of the arrival of an ambassador from
Lithuania, going with presents to the prince of the Tartars, who was to
have an escort of 200 Tartar horse; and, if I were inclined to take
advantage of this opportunity, by which means I should travel in much
greater safety, I had better wait the arrival of this ambassador. I
accepted of this offer most willingly; and we then sat down to a
magnificent entertainment; at which the bishop of Kiow, who was brother to
the governor, and many other persons of consequence were present. We
wanted nothing which could contribute to make the dinner pleasant. Good
company, good cheer, and music during the repast. The only circumstance I
did not like was, that it lasted too long; as I had more need for sleep
and rest, after my fatiguing journey, than of all the good cheer that
could be offered. In consequence, as soon as dinner was ended, I took my
leave, and retired to my lodgings in the city; the governor living in the
castle, which is only of wood. The city of Kiow stands on the river named
anciently Boristhenes, and Danambre by the natives, which we Italians call
Lerissa, and which falls into the Euxine.
On the 10th of May[8], the ambassador of Lithuania arrived; and, as he was
to set out next day after mass, I went to pay him my compliments,
accompanied by M. Pamartin; who directed him, on the part of the king of
Poland, to take care of me, and to conduct me in perfect safety to
Theodosia. To this the ambassador answered, that he had every respect for
the orders of his majesty, the sovereign arbiter of his life and death,
and would carefully obey his orders. I thanked M. Pamartin for all his
kindnesses, as he had frequently visited me, and had supplied me with
every thing I needed for subsistence during my stay; and, as some token of
my gratitude, I made him a present of a tolerably good German horse, which
had carried me hitherto. We here parted with the rest of our horses, which
were quite unfit for our farther use, and procured horses of the country
for the remainder of our journey; and, on parting with the guides who had
accompanied us to Kiow by orders of the king, I rewarded them for their
attention and good conduct.
I left Kiow on the 11th of May, along with the Lithuanian ambassador; and
as I was unable to travel on horseback, on account of pains in my feet, I
travelled in a carriage, which had served me for that purpose ever since I
left the king of Poland at Lenczycz. The first place we came to was
_Cerca_, belonging to the king of Poland, where we waited till the 15th,
for the Tartar horse who came to escort us on our journey. After their
arrival we set out on our journey through the great desert of Tartary, and
came to the Boristhenes, which separates Tartary from Russia, and which is
some miles broad[9]. As it was necessary to pass the river, our Tartars
cut down some trees, the stems of which they fastened together into a raft,
which was covered over by the branches, and upon which the whole of our
baggage was placed. They fastened their horses by the tails to this raft,
by which means it was dragged across the river, they themselves swimming
along-side of their horses, and holding by their manes. We had likewise to
swim our horses across, in which we succeeded, by the blessing of God, but
in much fear and danger at this, to us, unusual mode of navigation. When
we got over, we had to remain a whole day on the other side to collect and
replace our baggage.
While among the Tartars, their officers eyed me with much attention and
suspicion; and, during our new journey through the desert beyond the river,
the Lithuanian ambassador informed me, by means of the interpreter, that
the Tartar officers had come to a resolution to carry me to their prince,
as they could not allow a person of my appearance to go on to Theodosia
without his permission. I was much alarmed by this intelligence, believing
that I should incur considerable risk of having the purposes of my journey
frustrated by this measure, and, therefore, earnestly recommended to the
ambassador to keep in mind the orders he had received on the part of the
king of Poland respecting me, and the promises he had made to Pamartin;
and I promised to make a present of a sword to the interpreter if he
succeeded to extricate me from my embarrassment. The interpreter reported
my fears and wishes to the ambassador, who succeeded, after drinking with
the Tartars, in persuading them that I was of Genoa; and, by means of a
present of fifteen ducats, he obtained permission for me to go direct for
Theodosia. Our journey through the desert continued till the 9th of June,
during which we suffered many hardships, having, at one time, been a whole
day and night without water. At length it became necessary for us to part
company, the Lithuanian ambassador and his escort taking the direct road
to Bachiserai[10], at which place the prince of the Tartars resided. On
this occasion, a Tartar was appointed to be our guide to Theodosia, and we
parted from the escort, not without considerable apprehensions of some
sudden attack from the Tartars, yet much satisfied at getting rid of that
crew, for they smelt so abominably, from feeding on horse flesh, that it
was quite intolerable to come near them.
Our whole company passed the ensuing night in carts covered with skins, in
which we were soon surrounded by a great number of persons, inquiring who
we were. On being informed by our Tartar guide that I was of Genoa, they
supplied us with milk, and left us. Resuming our journey next morning
early, we arrived that day, which was the 16th of June, at the suburbs of
Theodosia, otherwise called Kaffa. Filled with gratitude for our
preservation through so many dangers, we went privately into a church to
give thanks to God for our safe arrival; and from thence I sent my
interpreter to inform the Venetian consul of my arrival. He immediately
sent his brother to wait upon me, advising me to remain where I was till
night, when he carried me privately to a house belonging to him in the
same suburb, where I was exceedingly well received. I here found Paulus
Omnibamus, who had left Venice three months before me, under the orders of
our illustrious republic.
[1] In the latter part of this journey, the date of his return to Venice
is the 10th of April.--E.
[2] Called Tarvisin, in the original.--E.
[3] Called Conigiano, in the edition of Bergeron.--E.
[4] This small city stands on a small river which runs into the Werta, at
the western extremity of what was Poland, about sixty-seven miles from
Poznan. It is called Messaricie in the original.--E.
[5] Lausicie in the original.--E.
[6] Named Chio in the original. The second name, Magrano, is afterwards
called Magraman by Contarini, or his French translator.--E.
[7] Named Chio in the original, but which must necessarily be Kiow, or
Kieu, now belonging to Russia. The three formerly mentioned stages
Jusch, Aitomir, and Belligraoch, must either be villages of too little
importance to find a place in geographical maps, or their names are so
corrupted as to be unintelligible. The direct road from Lublin to Kiow,
passes through the palatinates of Russia, Wolhynia, and Kiow,
provinces of ci-devant Poland, now annexed to the Russian empire.--E.
[8] The original says April, but attention to the context distinctly
points out this necessary correction.--E.
[9] From this circumstance it evidently appears that the journey from Kiow
had hitherto been on the right or west of the Dnieper or Boristhenes,
through the country of the Nogais Tartars, now forming the western
portion of the Russian province of Catharinoslau; and we may suppose
the wide part of that river they had now to cross to have been
somewhere about Cherson.--E.
[10] Named Arcercheriher in the French translation of Contarini; but which
must necessarily be some corruption of Baschiserai, the residence of
the khan of the Crim Tartars.--E.
SECTION II.
_Contarini, leaving Kaffa, crosses the Euxine to the city of Phasis,
whence he pursues his journey through Mingrelia, Georgia, and part of
Armenia, into Persia_.
It is impossible for me to give any exact description of the city of Kaffa,
or Theodosia, or of its government, as the danger of incurring suspicion
obliged me to remain continually at home; on which account I can only
mention such particulars as I learned from others. It is situated on the
Euxine, and is celebrated for a great fair, which is much frequented, on
which account the city is very populous, and is said to be very rich and
powerful. I hired a vessel belonging to Anthony Valdat, which lay in the
Palus Meotis, to carry me to the city of _Phasis_. When I was ready to
embark, I met with two Armenians, one of whom had been on an embassy to
Rome, from Uzun Hassan, and was persuaded by them to prefer disembarking
at _Tina_, about an hundred miles from Trebisond, instead of Phasis,
alleging that from Tina it was only four hours journey to a castle named
_Arrius_, which depended upon the king of Persia, and promising to conduct
us to that place in safety. Although I was by no means satisfied with this
advice, I allowed myself to be guided by the consul and his brother, who
agreed in opinion with the Armenians. I accordingly left Kaffa on the 4th
of June[1], accompanied by the consul, who went with me to the river,
where our vessel was in waiting. I had formerly agreed with the master for
our passage to Phasis at seventy ducats, but on occasion of the change in
our destination, I was now obliged to pay an hundred. Being aware that I
should not be able to meet with any person to serve us at the place we
were going to, I used the precaution to hire nine men from Kaffa, to
assist the mariners of our vessel, and to procure provisions for us in our
journey through Georgia and Mingrelia.
We embarked on the 15th of June, and made sail across the Euxine, direct
for Tina, but had hardly got twenty miles on our voyage, when a contrary
wind sprung up from the east. Observing the mariners consulting together
in an extraordinary manner, I became curious to know the purpose of their
discourse. Accordingly, one Bernard, the brother-in-law of our captain,
said to me that he understood we proposed going to Tina, but advised me by
no means to do so; as a certain _Subassa_ roamed about that neighbourhood
with a band of cavalry, who would certainly make us slaves if we fell into
his hands. On this advice I changed my purpose, and the wind becoming more
favourable, we made sail for Liasi and Phasis, and arrived at _Varsi_ on
the 29th of June, where I disembarked my horses and baggage, and sent them
from thence by land to Phasis, which is sixty miles from that place.
_Varsi_ is a castle, with a small village in Mingrelia, belonging to a
lord named _Gorbola_, to whom likewise _Caltichea_[2], a place of small
importance on the coast of the Euxine, is subject. The inhabitants of this
country are very miserable, and the only productions are hemp, wax, and
silk.
On the 1st of July we arrived near Phasis, followed by a vessel filled
with Mingrelians, who seemed all to be fools or drunk. Quitting the vessel,
we went up the river in a boat, passing an island in the mouth of the
river, where Oetes, the father of Medea the enchantress, is said to have
reigned. On this island we spent the night, and were sadly infested by
midges. Next day we went up the river in the boat, passing the city of
Asso, which stands on its banks in the midst of a forest. I here found one
Nicholas Capella, of Modena, who commanded in these parts, and a
Circassian woman named Martha, who had been the slave of a person of Genoa,
but was now married. This Martha received me with much kindness, and with
her I staid two days. Phasis is a city of Mingrelia, subject to prince
Bendian, whose dominions extend only about three days journey in length.
The country is very mountainous, and full of forests. The inhabitants are
so fierce and savage, that they might be accounted wild beasts. Their
principal drink is beer; they have some corn and wine, but in very small
quantities; boiled millet being their ordinary food, which is a very poor
kind of nourishment. They sometimes procure wine and salted fish from
Trebisond, and import salt from Kaffa, without which they could not exist.
Their only productions consist in a small quantity of hemp and wax. If
they were industrious, they might procure abundance of fish, which are
very numerous in their river. They are Christians, according to the Greek
ritual, to which they have added many gross superstitions.
I left Phasis on the 4th of July, accompanied by Nicholas Capella, and
crossed the river _Mare_ on a float. That day and the next, we travelled
through a considerable portion of Mingrelia, always among woods and
mountains. Towards the evening of the 5th, we came to the habitation of
prince Bendian, whom we found, with all his court, reclining on a plain,
under the shade of some trees. I sent Nicholas Capella to inform him of my
quality, and to ask permission to pay him my respects, which was
accordingly granted. I saluted him, therefore, with great respect, as he
sat on the ground with his wife and children, and he made me sit down
beside him. After explaining the purpose of my journey, I requested he
would have the goodness to appoint me a guide. He expressed his
satisfaction at my arrival in his dominions, and granted my request. He
afterwards sent me some bread, a piece of beef, and the head of a sow, but
so under done, that it required the extreme necessity in which we then
were to induce us to eat of his provisions; but when we cannot get what we
like, we must put up with what can be had. We had to wait a whole day for
the promised guide. The plain in which we found prince Bendian, is
surrounded by very fine trees, resembling box, but much more lofty. The
prince seemed about fifty years of age, and had a tolerably handsome
countenance, but his manners were perfectly ridiculous.
On the 7th of July we continued our journey, always among woods and
mountains, and next day passed the river which divides Mingrelia from
Georgia, having to pass the night in the open air, and, what was worse, we
had nothing to eat. On the 9th, we arrived at a small city named
_Cotachis_[3], which is defended by a stone fort, and where we saw a
temple that seemed very ancient. We had here to pass a bridge over a large
river, before reaching the plain in which the huts of Plangion, king of
Georgia, are situated. The fort and city of Cotachis belong to Plangion. I
waited upon the commander of this place who invited me to dinner. He was
seated on the ground, on which I, and those of my suite who accompanied me,
and some friends of the governor, all sat down. Before us was laid a
greasy skin, on which they served us with bread, radishes, some flesh, and
other execrable articles with which I was not acquainted. They continually
offered me wine in large goblets, to fill me drunk, according to their
abominable customs, as they are as foolish and beastly as the Mingrelians.
Finding that I would not join them in deep drinking, they held me in great
contempt, insomuch that I found it extremely difficult to get leave to
retire and to continue my journey. But at length they brought me a guide
to conduct me to the king of Georgia.
I left Cotachis on the 12th of July; and, after travelling the whole day
through woods and mountains, we rested for the night in a meadow at the
foot of a mountain, near a castle named _Scandes_[4], in which king
_Pangrates_[5] resides. My guide here left me on purpose to inform the
king of my arrival; promising to return immediately with another guide to
serve me during the rest of the journey. We had accordingly to pass the
whole night in the wood, starving of hunger, and full of anxiety. The
guide came back early in the morning, accompanied by two of the kings
secretaries, who informed me that the king was gone to Cotachis, and had
ordered them to make an inventory of all our baggage, and of every thing
we had about us; after which we should be provided with a passport, to
travel free from payment of any duties through the whole country. They
proceeded accordingly in their examination and inventory with the most
rigorous exactness, even noting down the very shirts we then wore. After
this they ordered me to mount my horse, and to go along with them to the
king, leaving all my people behind. I used my best endeavours to be
excused from this; but, instead of listening to me, they loaded me with
insolence; and the only favour I could obtain, and that with the utmost
difficulty, was permission to take my interpreter along with me. We
accordingly resumed our journey, without meat or drink, and arrived much
fatigued at Cotachis towards night; where my interpreter and me were left
all night to our repose under a tree, where, indeed, they sent us some
bread and fish.
The remainder of my people were taken to a miserable village, where they
were left in charge of the priest; and our mutual anxiety may be easily
guessed.
Next morning I was carried before the king, whom I found sitting on the
ground in a hut, surrounded by several of his nobles. After paying my
respects, he asked me a great number of questions, and among the rest, how
many kings there were in the world? It came into my fancy to answer that
there were twelve. On which he signified that I was right, and that he was
one of the number; and that he was much surprised that I should come into
his dominions without bringing him a letter from my sovereign. To this I
answered, that when I left my own country, I did not expect to travel
through his dominions, otherwise my sovereign would assuredly have given
me letters in charge for his majesty; and with this answer he seemed
satisfied. He asked many other extraordinary questions, from which I
conjectured that my guide had maliciously represented me as carrying many
valuable things; and it is probable, if this had been the case, that I had
never been allowed to escape out of their hands. The royal secretaries
endeavoured to persuade me that I ought to make the king a present of any
article that might strike his fancy among my small baggage; but I got off
without making any present, except compliments, and requesting him to
appoint some one to conduct me through his dominions. This he was pleased
to promise, as likewise to give me a free passport, without paying any
duties, as I carried no merchandize. Accordingly, I took my leave of the
king on the 14th of July, returning to the tree I formerly mentioned as my
lodging, where the secretary brought me the promised passport and a guide.
I then returned to my people at the village where they were kept in my
absence, and was received with much joy, as the priest had represented the
king as the cruellest tyrant in the world. My people could not contain
themselves for excess of joy at my safe return, and even the miserable
priest was so touched at the scene, that he provided us with something to
eat, and we slept there that night as well as we could.
Next day, being the 15th of July, we provided ourselves with some bread
and wine, to comfort ourselves on the way, and resumed our journey through
thick forests and terrible mountains, which continued for two days. In the
evening of the 16th, we stopt near a spring, where we remained during the
night in the open air, being obliged to light a fire on account of the
coldness of the weather, though in the middle of summer. On the 17th of
the same month we arrived at _Goride_[6], which belongs to the king of
Georgia. This city is built on a plain, watered by a large river, and is
defended by a citadel which is built upon a rock. Our guide notified our
arrival to the commandant, who ordered us a house for our lodgings,
apparently for the purpose of extorting a present; for shortly afterwards
he informed me that he had letters from the king, by which he was ordered
to receive twenty-six ducats from me for himself, and that I should pay
six to my guide. I endeavoured to evade this demand, by saying that the
king had received me favourably, to whom I had already given seventy
ducats, and could not give any thing more, and urged my free passport. But
he would listen to nothing I could urge, and I was forced to comply with
his extortion. He even detained me till the 19th of the month, and even
then I had extreme difficulty to get leave to depart. The inhabitants of
the city, who deserve rather to be ranked among beasts, looked at us with
as much astonishment as if they had never seen any other men than
ourselves. They told us that, on the top of a high mountain in a
neighbouring forest, there was a great church, in which was an image of
the Virgin, which worked many miracles, and that the church was served by
forty monks, whom they named _Calojeriens_[7]. But our anxiety to get out
of this abominable country, prevented us from paying our devotions at that
famous church. Georgia, indeed, is a somewhat better country than
Mingrelia, but the manners of the people and their way of living is
equally brutal; and such were the distresses and difficulties I
encountered in travelling through both, that it would be tedious to relate
them. On the 20th of July we left the abominable city of Goride, where we
had suffered so many vexations, and continued, our journey through forests
and over mountains, occasionally falling in with villages where we
purchased provisions. We had always to pass the nights on the ground near
some spring or rivulet, during most part of our journey through Mingrelia
and Georgia.