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.
[1] We have already seen that it was the 16th of that month when Contarini
arrived at Kaffa. Much confusion has occurred in the dates of this
journey, which we have no means of correcting, and must, therefore, be
contented with them as they are - E.
[2] The names of places in this journal are so corrupted as to be often
quite unintelligible. Varsi may possibly be Vardon, in the district to
the northwest of Mingrelia, named Abkhas; and Caltichea may perhaps be
Sulhuali, a sea port about 30 miles to the east. Phasis probably
refers to some town on the river of that name, perhaps Subastei. - E.
[3] Probably Cutais in Imeritia, on the river Riene. - E.
[4] Perhaps Sarassan, about forty miles S. E. from Cutais. - E.
[5] Apparently the same prince named Plangion a little before. - E.
[6] Gori in Georgia, on the river Kur. The journey hitherto must have been
through Mingrelia, then apparently subject to the prince or king of
Georgia. - E.
[7] Probably Caloyers. - E.
SECTION III.
_Arrival of Contarini at Tauris or Ecbatana, the royal city of Uzun-
Hassan, and continuation of his journey through Persia to Ispahan, where
the king then resided._
On the 22d of July we began to ascend a mountain of prodigious height,
insomuch, that when night came on we had scarcely reached the top, where
we had to pass the night without water. Resuming our journey in the
morning, we descended the other side of the mountain, and entered the
province of Armenia, which is under the dominion of Uzun-Hassan[1]. In
the evening we were conducted to a fort named Reo, which stands in the
plain, between a deep river and a high mountain, and which is garrisoned
by Turks in the service of Uzun-Hassan, but the neighbouring village is
inhabited by Armenians. We rested in this place till the 25th of July,
waiting the arrival of a guide to direct us in the remainder of the
journey, and being well treated by the inhabitants, we rewarded them to
their satisfaction.
