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.
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