Proceeding westwards to the left from Tanna or Asof, along the coast of the sea of Zabachi, or the Palus Maeotis, and then for some distance along the Great or Black Sea, quite to the province of Mingrelia, one arrives, after three days journey, at the province of Chremuch, Kremuk, or Kromuk, the sovereign of which is called Bisserdi700, and his son is named Chertibei701, which signifies the true or real lord. Bisserdi possesses a beautiful country, adorned with fertile fields, considerable rivers, and many fine woods, and can raise about a thousand horse. The higher order of the people in this country chiefly subsist by plundering the caravans. They have excellent horses; the people are valiant, inured to war, and very artful; but have nothing singular in their manners and appearance. Their country abounds in corn, cattle, and honey; but produces no wine. Beyond this country there are other provinces, which have a different language, and are not far from each other702. These in their order, considering Kremuk as the first, are, 2. Elipehe (Chippiche, or Kippike); 3. Tartarkosia (otherwise Tatakosia, Titarcossa, Tatartofia, or Tatartussia); 4. Sobai; 5. Chernethei (otherwise Cheuerthei, Khewerthei, Kharbatei, Kherbarthei, or Khabarda); 6. As, or the Alani. All these provinces extend for twelve days journey, quite to Mingrelia; which latter province borders on the Kaitacchi or Chaitaki, who live about the Caspian mountains; and partly also near Georgiana, and on the shores of the Black Sea, and on the range of mountains which extends into Circassia. On one side likewise Mingrelia is encompassed by the river Phasis, which falls into the Black Sea. The sovereign of this country is called Bendian, or Dadian, and is in possession of two fortified towns near the sea, one of which is called Vathi, or Badias, and the name of the other is Savastopol703. Besides these he has several other castles and fortified rocks. The whole country is stony and barren, and millet is the only kind of grain that it produces. They get their salt from Kaffa. They manufacture some dark coarse stuffs, and are a gross and barbarous people. In this country Tetarti signifies white, and the word is likewise used to denote silver coin: thus likewise the Greeks call silver money Aspro704, the Turks Akeia, and the Kathayans Teugh, all of which words signify white; and hence, both in Venice and in Spain, certain silver coins are all called bianchi, which has the same signification.
We must now give some account of Georgiana, Georgia, or Gurgistan, which lies opposite to the last mentioned places, and borders on Mingrelia. The king of Georgia is called Pancratius, and is sovereign of a delightful country, which produces bread, corn, wine, cattle, and all other fruits of the earth in great abundance; and they train up their vines around trees as in Trebisond. The people are very handsome and well made, but they have the most horrid manners, and the worst customs of any people I ever met with. Their heads are shaved, except a few hairs all around, like our rich abbots; and they wear whiskers, six inches long. On their heads they wear a cap of various colours, with a feather on the top. Their bodies are covered by a strait-bodied jacket, having tolerably long skirts, which are cloven behind, quite up to their loins, as otherwise they could not conveniently sit on horseback; but I do not blame them for this fashion, as the French wear the same kind of dress. On their feet and ankles they wear boots, but the soles are so strangely made, that when a man walks, his heels and toes only touch the ground, while the middle of the foot is raised up so high, that one may thrust the fist through below; and thence they walk with great difficulty. I should blame them for this, if I had not known that the same fashion prevails in Persia. At their meals, they have the following custom, which I saw in the house of one of their great men. They use a quadrangular table, about half an ell across, having a projecting rim, on the middle of which they heap up a quantity of boiled millet, which is without salt or fat, or any other seasoning, and this they eat to their meat by way of bread. On another similar table, but having live coals underneath, there was some wild boars flesh, but so little roasted that the blood ran out when it was cut, and of this they are very fond. For my part, I thought it quite disgusting, and was forced to content myself with a little millet, as we had no other provisions. There was wine, however, in abundance, which was handed round the company with great hospitality.
In this country there are a great number of woods and mountains. One of its districts is named Tiflis, in which is a town of the same name, situate on the Kur or Kyrus, which runs into the Caspian. Gori is likewise a fortified place in the same country, and lies nearer to the Black Sea.
Going from Tanna or Asof, by the river Don, and along the sea of Tabache or Asof, quite to Kaffa, and keeping that sea close on the left hand, we come to an isthmus or narrow neck of land, which connects the peninsula of the Crimea; with the mainland, and which is named Zuchala705. This is similar to that called Essimilia, formerly the Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Morea or Peloponnesus with the continent of Greece. Near this isthmus of Zuchala, there are large salt water lakes, from which the salt crystallizes in summer, and is taken out in large quantities for the supply of the surrounding nations.
Within the peninsula, and on the sea of Tabache or Asof, the first province we come to is Kumania, deriving its name from the people called Kumanians. The chief province is called Gazzaria or Chazaria, in which Caffa is situate; and the measure of length used by merchants in all these countries is called the Gazzarian ell, which is even used at Tanna706.
The low country of the island of Kaffa707 is occupied by the Tartars, who are governed by a prince named Ulubi708, the son of Azicharei. They are able, in case of need, to bring 3000 or 4000 horse into the field. These people possess two walled towns, which are by no means strong. One of these, Sorgathi709, is by them likewise called Incremia or Chirmia, which signifies a fortification. The other is Cherchiarde or Kerkiarde710, which signifies forty places in their language711. On the island, which the Italians call the Cimmerian Bosphorus, close to the mouth of the sea of Asof, is Cherz, Kersch, or Kars712. Then come Kaffa713, Saldaia714, Grassui715, Cymbalo716, Sarsona or Cherson717, and Kalamita718. Farther on from Kaffa lies Gothia, and still farther Alania, which is without the island towards Moncastro719.
700
This is explained to signify Deodati, or Given by God. –Forst.
701
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.
702
This odd expression, that these provinces are not far from each other, certainly means that they are not large. –E.
703
Otherwise called Sebastopolis, also Isguriah or Dioskurios. –Forst.
704
Hence Asper, the ordinary denomination of silver coin in moderns Turkey is evidently borrowed from the Greek. –E.
705
Now Precop. –E.
706
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.
707
The ancient Taurica Chersonesus; the Crimea of our days, now again called Taurida by the Russians. –E.
708
Probably Ulu-beg, or the great prince. –E.
709
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.
710
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.
711
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.
712
The Pantikapaeum of the ancient Bosphorian kings. The Ol-Kars of Abulfeda. –Forst.
713
This is nearly on the same spot with the Theodosia of the Greeks and Romans. –Forst.
714
Otherwise Soldadia, Soldadia, or more properly Sugdaja, now Sudak or Suday, by which name it is mentioned in Abulfeda. –Forst.
715
Grasui, or Grusui, now unknown, perhaps stood at a place now called Krusi-musen, which seems to preserve some traces of the name.-Forst
716
Called likewise Cimbolo, the or 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.
717
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.
718
This seems a corruption of Klimata; as all the towns named by Barbaro formerly belonged to of the Greeks, and all belonged till lately to the Turks. –Forst.
719
This is a place at the mouth of the Dniester called Ak-Kierman by the Turks; Tshelatalba by the Walachians; Belgorod by the Russians; Aspro Kastra by the Greeks; and Moncastro by the Genoese. It was the Alba Julia, of the Romans. –Forst.