Journey
beyond Trozk, we come to a fortified town called Loniri or Lonin[36].
After this, we quit that part of Poland called Lithuania, and come to a
district named Varsonich[37], which belongs to certain lords, who are
subject to Kazimir, or Cassimir, King of Poland. This part of the country
is fertile, and contains a great many walled towns and villages, but none
of any great importance. From Warsaw, it is seven days journey to the
frontiers of Poland, through a good and beautiful country; where one meets
with Mersaga[38], a tolerably good town, where Poland ends. Respecting
the towns and provinces of Poland, I shall say nothing farther, for want of
proper information; except that the king and his sons, and whole household,
are very good Christians, and that the eldest of his sons is king of
Bohemia.
Travelling four days more beyond Poland, we came to Francfort, a city which
belongs to the Margrave of Bandenburgh. But having reached Germany, I shall
say nothing of it, as we are now in a manner at home, and in a country with
which most people are well acquainted.
[1] Forster, Voy. and Disc, in the North p. 165.
[2] Called likewise the sea of Zabachi, Ischaback-Denghissi, the Palus
Maeotis, and Sea of Asof. - Forst.
[3] This is explained to signify Deodati, or Given by God. - Forst.
[4] The Ch is used in Italian orthography before e and i to indicate
the letter k. Hence Cheremuch is Kererouk, and Chertibei, Kertibei,
or Kertibey. In the perpetually varying nomenclature, from vitious
orthography, and changes of dominion, it is often difficult to
ascertain the nations or districts indicated. This is peculiarly the
case in the present instance, and the sequel, which enumerates a
number of the Caucasian petty tribes, lying between, the sea of Asof
and the Caspian, now mostly subject to the Russian empire, whose
momentary names and stations we dare not pretend to guess at. - E.
[5] This odd expression, that these provinces are not far from each other,
certainly means that they are not large. - E.
[6] Otherwise called Sebastopolis, also Isguriah or Dioskurios. - Forst.
[7] Hence Asper, the ordinary denomination of silver coin in moderns
Turkey is evidently borrowed from the Greek. - E.
[8] Now Precop. - E.
[9] Kumania and Gazzaria, here said to be provinces of the Crimea, or
island of Kaffa, must have been small districts of that peninsula,
inhabited by tribes of the Kumanians and Gazzarians of the country
between the sea of Asof and the mouths of the Wolga, now frequently
called the Cuban Tartary. The whole of that country, together with the
country between the Wolga and Ural rivers, often bore the name of
Kumania. But the destructive conquests of the Mongals, has in all ages
broken down the nations of those parts into fragments, and has induced
such rapid and frequent changes as to baffle all attempts at any fixed
topography, except of lakes, rivers, and mountains. - E.
[10] The ancient Taurica Chersonesus; the Crimea of our days, now again
called Taurida by the Russians. - E.
[11] Probably Ulu-beg, or the great prince. - E.
[12] Soragathi or Solgathi, is named by Abulfeda Soldet or Kirm; and is at
present called Eskikyrym, or the Old Citadel. - Forst. From the name of
this place, Chirmia, Kirmia, Kirm, or Crim, the name of the peninsula
and its inhabitants, Chrimea, and Crim-Tartars, are evidently
derived. - E.
[13] Kerkiardi is the Kerkri of Abulfeda, and signifies in Turkish forty
men. Some call the place Kyrk, and the Poles name it Kirkjel. It is
situated on an inaccessible mountain, and was one of the castles
belonging to the Goths who dwelt in those mountains, absurdly called
Jews by some authors; of whom some traces remained not long ago, as
their language contained many words resembling German. - Forst.
[14] I should suspect that this term, here applied to one place only, had
been originally the general appellation of the forty castles
belonging to the Goths, who long defended themselves in the Tauric
Chersonese. The ridiculous conversion of these Goths into Jews, may be
accounted for, by supposing that some ignorant transcriber had changed
Teutschi into Judei, either in copying or writing from the ear. - E.
[15] The Pantikapaeum of the ancient Bosphorian kings. The Ol-Kars of
Abulfeda. - Forst.
[16] This is nearly on the same spot with the Theodosia of the Greeks and
Romans. - Forst.
[17] Otherwise Soldadia, Soldadia, or more properly Sugdaja, now Sudak or
Suday, by which name it is mentioned in Abulfeda. - Forst.
[18] Grasui, or Grusui, now unknown, perhaps stood at a place now called
Krusi-musen, which seems to preserve some traces of the name. - Forst
[19] Called likewise Cimbolo, the [Greek: Symbolan Hormoos] or [Greek:
lymaen], the Buluk-lawa of the moderns, or Limen. - Forst.
[20] Otherwise Sherson and Schurschi; which was formerly called Cherson
Trachea, and was built 600 years before the Christian era, by the
inhabitants of Heraclea in Pontus. It was also called Chersonesus, or
the Peninsula; but that term properly signified the whole of the
peninsula between this harbour and Symbolon or Limen, which was
entirely occupied by the Greeks. The Russians took this place in the
reign of Wolodimer the great, and it is called Korsen in their annals.
By the Turks, it is named Karaje-burn. It must be carefully
distinguished from another Cherson on the Dnieper, at no great
distance, but not in the peninsula. - Forst.
[21] This seems a corruption of Klimata; as all the towns named by Barbaro
formerly belonged to [Greek: chastxa ton chlimata] of the Greeks, and
all belonged till lately to the Turks.
