I did so, and
commenced my journey at 9 o'clock in the morning of the 11th of
August. Several gentlemen, whose acquaintance I had made in Tebris,
accompanied me about a mile out of the town, and we encamped on the
bank of a beautiful little river, and partook of a cold breakfast.
Then I began my journey alone, indeed, but composedly and with good
courage, for now I thought I was entering a Christian country,
beneath the sceptre of a civilized, European, law and order-loving
monarch.
CHAPTER XXII. ASIATIC RUSSIA - ARMENIA, GEORGIA, AND MINGRELIA.
SOPHIA - MARAND - THE RUSSIAN FRONTIER - NATSCHIVAN - JOURNEY OF THE
CARAVAN - A NIGHT'S IMPRISONMENT - CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNEY -
ERIVAN - THE RUSSIAN POST - THE TARTARS - ARRIVAL IN TIFLIS - SOJOURN
THERE - CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNEY - KUTAIS - MARAND - TRIP ON THE
RIBON - REDUTKALE.
11th August. The stations between Tebris and Natschivan are very
irregular; one of the longest, however, is the first - namely, to the
village of Sophia, which occupied us six hours. The road lay
through valleys, which were, for the most part, barren and
uninhabited.
As it was already 3 o'clock when we reached Sophia, the people there
endeavoured to prevent me from going any further. They pointed to
the sun, and at the same time signified that I might be attacked by
robbers, plundered, and even murdered; but such statements had no
influence with me; and after I had with great trouble ascertained
that it would only require four hours to reach the next station, I
determined to continue my journey; and to the vexation of my
servant, whom I had engaged as far as Natschivan, ordered him to
saddle fresh horses.
Immediately after leaving Sophia, we entered barren, rocky valleys,
which my guide represented as being very dangerous, and which I
should not have liked to pass at night; but as the sun was shining
in full splendour, I urged on my horse, and amused myself by looking
at the beautiful colours and grouping of the rocks. Some were of a
glittering pale green; others covered with a whitish, half
transparent substance; others again terminated in numerous oddly
formed angles, and from the distance looked like beautiful groups of
trees. There was so much to see that I really had no time to think
of fear.
About half-way lay a pretty little village in a valley, and beyond
it rose a steep mountain, on the summit of which a charming prospect
of mountain country kept me gazing for a long while.
We did not reach Marand till nearly 8 o'clock; but still with our
heads, necks, and baggage, all safe.
Marand lies in a fertile valley, and is the last Persian town which
I saw, and one of the most agreeable and handsome. It has broad,
clean streets, houses in good repair, and several small squares with
beautiful springs, which are, moreover, surrounded by trees.
My shelter for the night was not so good as the town promised: I
was obliged to share the court with the post-horses. My supper
consisted of some roasted and very salt eggs.
12th August. Our journey for today was as far as Arax, on the
Russian frontier. Although only one stage, it took us eleven hours.
We followed the course of a small brook, which wound through barren
valleys and ravines; not a single village lay on our road; and with
the exception of some little mills and the ruins of a mosque, I saw
no more buildings in Persia. Persia is, on the whole, very thinly
populated, on account of the scarcity of water. No country in the
world has more mountains, and fewer rivers, than Persia. The air
is, on this account, very dry and hot.
The valley in which Arax is situated is large, and the extraordinary
formation of the mountains and rocks renders it very picturesque.
In the extreme distance rise lofty mountains, of which Ararat is
more than 16,000 feet in height, and in the valley itself there are
numerous rocky elevations. The principal of these, a beautiful
sharp rocky cone, of at least 1,000 feet in height, is called the
Serpent Mountain.
The river Aras flows close to the headland. It separates Armenia
from Media, has a terrible fall, and high waves. It here forms the
boundary between the Russian and Persian dominions. We crossed in a
boat. On the opposite side of the river were several small houses
where travellers are obliged to stop and prove that they are not
robbers, and especially that they are not politically dangerous.
Occasionally they are detained in quarantine for some time, when the
plague or cholera happens to be prevalent in Persia.
A letter from the Russian consul at Tebris ensured me a very
courteous reception; from the quarantine I was saved, as there was
no plague or cholera. I had, however, scarcely set my foot upon
Russian ground, when the impudent begging for drink-money began.
The officer had among his people a Cossack, who represented himself
as understanding German, and he was sent to me to ask what I wished
for. The rogue knew about as much German as I did Chinese - hardly
three or four words. I therefore signified to him that I did not
require his services, in spite of which he held out his hand,
begging for money.
13th August. I left Arax betimes in the morning, in company with a
customs' officer, and rode to the town of Natschivan, which lies in
a large valley, surrounded by the lofty mountains of Ararat. The
country here is fertile, but there are very few trees.
I never had so much trouble to obtain shelter in any place as in
this.
