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.
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