In My Opinion, The Tartars Have Small Store
Of Armour, Except Bows And Arrows, And Leather Jackets; Some Have Iron
Plates, And Skull Cups From Persia, And I Saw Two At The Court Of Mangu
Armed With Clumsy And Unwieldy Coats Of Rough Hog-Skin.
We found one castle
of the Alanians, which had been subdued by the Tartars, about which there
were many vineyards, and there we drank wine for the first time.
On the
following day we reached Derbent or the Iron-gate, built by Alexander the
Macedonian, on a small plain between the sea and the mountains, one end of
the city reaching to the shore, while the other extends a mile in length to
the top of the mountain, on which is a strong castle. But the breadth of
the city scarcely exceeds a stones throw. It has very strong walls, and
turrets of large polished stones, with no trenches; but the Tartars have
demolished the tops of the turrets, and the bulwarks of the walls.
Two days journey from Derbent we came to a city named Samaron[3], in which
there were many Jews; near which we saw walls descending from the mountains
to the sea; and leaving the way by the sea, because it turns to the east,
we went up into the high countries, towards the south. Next day we passed
through a valley, in which we could perceive the foundations of walls,
stretching quite across between two mountains, which were themselves quite
impassable. All these walls were erected of old by Alexander, for
restraining the fierce nations of Scythian shepherds, inhabiting the
wilderness, from invading the plains and cities of the southern countries
of Persia and Asia Minor. There were also other walls and inclosures
inhabited by Jews. Next day we came to a great city called Samach[4]; and
after this we entered the great plain of Moan, through which runs the river
Cur or Cyrus, from which the Curgi or Curdi have their name, whom we call
Georgians, and which river passes through the middle of Tefflis, their
capital. The Cur comes directly from the west, running east into the
Caspian, and in it are excellent salmon[5]. In the plains of Moan or Mogan
we again met with Tartars; and through this plain flows the Araxes, which
comes from Armenia the Greater, called likewise the land of Ararat. To the
west of that plain is Curgia[6], and in this plain the Crosmini, Krosmians
or Korasmiens[7], formerly dwelt. Ganges or Kanja, a great city in the
entrance of the mountains towards Georgia, was their capital, and prevented
the Georgians from coming down to plunder the plain country. We next came
to a bridge of boats fastened together with great iron chains, for crossing
the united stream of the Kur and Araxes.
We proceeded thence, travelling up the river called pontem inidignatus
Araxes, leaving Persia and the Caspian mountains on our left hand, towards
the south, Curgia and the great sea on our right hand, towards the west[8].
Going all the way southwards[9], we passed through the meadows of Bacchu-
khan, the general of the Tartar army on the Araxes, who has likewise
subjugated the Curgi, the Turks, and the Persians.
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