His Excellency the Ambassador leaves Caphà, and after crossing
the Mar Maggiore, reaches Fasso; then passing Mengrelia,
Giorgiana, and part of Armenia, arrives at the country of
Ussuncassan.
I cannot give many particulars concerning the town of Caphà, as I
remained indoors nearly all the time I was there, that I might not
be seen; but I will mention what little I saw and heard. The town is
situated on the Mar Maggiore; it is very mercantile, with a numerous
population composed of natives of every nation, and has the reputation of
being very wealthy. While there, as it was my intention to go to Fasso,
I hired a ship lying in the Sea of Zabacche, of which was master Antonio
di Valdata, and I had to ride on horseback to this ship to complete the
engagement. When I had concluded the business, a proposal was made to
me by an Armenian named Morach, who had been to Rome and who acted as
ambassador to Ussuncassan, and another old Armenian, to the effect that,
instead of going, as was my intention, to Fasso, I should go to another
place named Tina, about a hundred miles from Trebizond, and belonging
to the Turk, and that, as soon as we had landed, we should take horses,
and I was promised that, in four hours, I should be taken to the castle
of a certain Ariam, who was a subject of Ussuncassan, giving me also to
understand that at Tina there was only a castle belonging to Greeks, in
which I should certainly be placed in safety. This project did not please
me in any way; but I was so persuaded by the consul and his brother, that
I consented to it, although against my will.
On the 3rd of June, 1474, we left Caphà, accompanied by the consul, and,
the next day arrived at the place where the ship I had hired was lying. I
had engaged to pay seventy ducats for our passage; but, as we had altered
our course I was obliged to pay a hundred. And, as I was informed that
there were no horses at the place at which we intended landing, I took
nine on board for the use of the guides, and also to enable us to carry
provisions through Mengrelia and Giorgiania.
On the 15th, the horses being embarked, we set sail and entered the Mar
Maggiore; and, then bending our course towards the said Tina, sailed
with a favourable wind. Having sailed about twenty miles, however,
without seeing that place, the wind veered to the east, contrary to us
while we kept on the same course. Having noticed that the sailors were
talking together, and wishing to know the subject of their conversation,
I was told that they were willing to do whatever I wished, but was
assured that Tina was a very dangerous place. Hearing this, and seeing
that it appeared as though our Lord God did not wish me to come to
harm, I determined to make for Leati and Fasso; and having come to this
determination, the weather became favourable shortly afterwards, and we
sailed with good winds.
On the 29th, we reached Varti, and as the horses were out of condition,
I had them put on shore and sent to Fasso,[154] a distance, I was told,
of sixty miles. At this place a certain Bernardino, the brother of our
captain, came on board, who, hearing that we had intended to go to Tina,
said that, if we had done so, we should all have been taken as slaves,
as he knew for certain that that place was frequented by a _Sobassi_
with many horsemen, who acted according to their usual custom. Returning
thanks to God, we left this place. Varti, in Mengrelia, consists of a
castle surrounded by a town of small extent, and belongs to a lord named
Gorbola. There is another town on the Mar Maggiore, of little importance,
called Caltichea, trading in silks, canvass, and wax, of little value,
and the people of every condition are very miserable.
On the 1st of July, 1474, we arrived at the mouth of the Fasso, and a
boat came alongside filled with Mengrelians, who behaved like madmen.
Leaving the ship, we went, in this boat, to the mouth of the river, where
there is an island over which, it is said, reigned King Areta, the father
of the poisoner Medea. We slept there that night and were annoyed by so
many gnats that we could scarcely guard against them.
On the morning of the 2nd, we went up the river in the boats of the
country to a city called Asso, situated on the river and surrounded by
woods. The river is as wide as two shots of a crossbow. When we had
landed at the city I found a certain Nicolò Capello da Modone, who had
settled there and become a Mahometan; a Circassian woman, named Marta,
who was the slave of a Genoese; and a Genoese, who was also settled and
married there. I lodged with the woman Marta, who certainly treated me
well, and staid till the 4th. Fasso belongs to the Mengrelians, whose
chief is named Bendian. He has not much territory, as it may be traversed
in three days, and consists principally of woods and mountains. The men
are brutal, and shave their heads after the fashion of minor friars.
There are stone quarries in the country, and a little corn and wine is
also produced, but of no great value. The men live miserably on millet
made hard like polenta, and the women fare more miserably still; and were
it not for a little wine and salt fish imported from Trebisond, and salt
from Capha, they would be very badly off. They produce canvas and wax,
but in small quantities. If they were industrious they might procure
as much fish as they required from the river. They are Christians, and
worship according to the rites of the Greek Church, but they have many
heresies.
On the 4th, we left Fasso with the above-mentioned Nicolò Capello as
guide, and crossed a river named Mazo in a boat.
On the 5th, after passing through woods and over mountains, we arrived
in the evening at the place where Bendian, the Lord of Mengrelia, was
staying. This prince, with his court, was seated in a small plain under
a tree. I made known to him by the said Nicolò that I wished to speak to
His Highness, and he had me sent for. He was seated on a carpet with his
wife and some of his sons by his side, and he made me sit before him.
When I had spoken to him and made him presents, he merely said that I was
welcome. I asked him for a guide, which he promised to let me have, on
which I returned to my quarters. He sent me, as a present, a pig’s head,
a little beef badly cooked, and some bad bread, which we were compelled
to eat from necessity, and I waited for the guide the whole day. In this
plain there were a great many trees like box trees, but much larger, and
all of an equal height, with a path in the middle of them. Bendian was
about fifty years of age, rather handsome, but his manners were those of
a madman.
On the 7th we left, and travelled continually through woods and over
mountains, and on the 8th crossed a river which divides Mengrelia from
Giorgiania, and slept in a meadow on the fresh grass, without much
provision.
On the 9th, we came to a small town called Cotochis,[155] where, on a
hill, there is a castle built entirely of stone, containing a church
which has the appearance of being very ancient. We afterwards crossed
a very large river by a bridge, and lodged in a meadow in which were
the houses of Pangrati, King of Giorgiania, the castle above mentioned
belonging to him. We were allowed by the governor to lodge in these
houses, and remained there the whole of the 11th, much annoyed by the
Georgiani (?), who are as mad as the Mengrelians. The governor wished me
to dine with him. When I went to his house he sat down on the ground, and
I sat beside him with some of his people and some of mine. A skin was
spread before us for a table-cloth, on which there was a layer of grease,
that I firmly believe would have sufficed to cook a large cauldron full
of cabbages. Bread, turnips, and a little meat, prepared in their manner,
were placed before me, as well as several other unsavoury things, which I
certainly cannot recal. The cup went round, and they did all they could
to make me as drunk as they were themselves, and as I would not drink,
they held me in much contempt, and I left them with great difficulty. The
governor provided me with a guide to accompany me to the place where the
king was.
On the 12th, I left here and travelled over mountains and through woods,
and in the evening was made to dismount, by the guide, on a meadow near
a castle, situated on a mountain, in which resided King Pangrati. Here
the guide went away, saying that he was going to inform the king, and
that he would return immediately with another guide who would accompany
me all over the country, and we were left in the middle of the wood in
considerable fear, and we waited the whole night suffering much from
hunger and thirst. Early the next morning he returned, accompanied by two
of the king’s clerks, who said that the king had gone to Cotachis, and
had sent them to look after the things which I had, to put them down in
a letter, in order that I might be able to pass through the whole of the
country without paying anything. They wanted to see everything, and to
take a note even of the clothes I had on my back, which I thought very
strange. When they had made their notes, they told me to get on horseback
alone, and wanted me to go to the king. But, as I tried by all means to
make them leave me, they began to abuse me, and after much trouble I was
allowed to take my interpreter. I mounted without having had anything to
eat or to drink, and rode with them to the said castle of Cotachis, where
the king was staying. Here I was made by the king to wait all night
under a tree, and he only sent me a small quantity of bread and fish. My
attendants remained in the custody of others, and were taken to a village
and placed in the house of a priest. One may imagine the state of mind
we were in. In the morning the king sent for me. He was in his house,
seated on the ground, together with many of his barons. He asked me many
questions, and among others, whether I knew how many kings there were
in the world. I answered at random, that I thought there were twelve,
on which he said that I was right, and that he was one of them; and, he
added, “And art thou come to my country without bringing me letters from
thy lord?” I replied, that the reason I had not brought him letters, was
that I did not think I should have come to his country; but I assured
him that he was well appreciated by my lord the Pope, who recognised him
among the other kings, and who, if he had thought that I should have
passed through his country, would have had great pleasure in writing to
him. This seemed to please him, and he afterwards asked me many strange
questions, which gave me to understand that that rogue of a guide who
had brought me had informed him that I had many valuables with me. And,
truly, if he had found this to be the case, I should never have been
allowed to leave the place. The clerks, out of the few things belonging
to me, which they had noted down, took whatsoever they pleased, and
insisted that I should give them to the king. On taking leave, I begged
the king to let me have a guide to conduct me safely out of the country;
and he promised to comply with my request, saying that he would also give
me a letter which would enable me to traverse the whole of his dominions
in safety. I then left him, and returned to my tree. I was obliged to
importune the clerk very strongly, in order to get the guide and the
letter, which I obtained at last, after much trouble.
On the 14th, I left the king and returned to the village, where my
people were staying, who, in consequence of the bad account they had
heard of the king, made certain that I should never return. They could
not have been more delighted if they had seen the Messiah, and knew not
what they did for joy. The poor priest seemed pleased, and prepared me
food. We slept, that night, as well as was possible, and the priest made
some bread to take with us, and gave us a little wine.
On the 15th, about tierce, we started with the guide, and travelled
through the terrible woods and mountains of that accursed country,
sleeping, at night, on the ground near water and grass, and being obliged
to make fires on account of the cold.
On the 17th, we came to a place belonging to the same king, called
Gorides,[156] situated in a plain, and having a wooden fort on a hill. A
large river passes by it, and it is a very convenient place. As soon as
the governor of the town had been informed of my arrival by the guide, he
made me enter a house where I expected to have met with a good reception.
After I had waited there a little time, however, he sent to inform me
that the king had written to order that I should pay twenty-six ducats
to him and six to the guide. And when I told him, with astonishment,
that this could not be, as the king had received me well, and that I had
already given him seventy ducats, and said much more which was of no
avail, I was obliged, reluctantly, to give the money. He kept me till the
19th, and then allowed me to depart. I was very much annoyed during my
stay, as the brutes appeared never to have seen men before. Giorgiania
is, however, rather a better country than Mingrelia; but the customs and
way of living of the inhabitants are the same, as are their religion
and mode of celebrating it. We were told, when we had descended a high
mountain, that in a large church, situated in a forest, there was an
ancient image of Our Lady, guarded by forty calviri (or priests), which
was said to perform many miracles. I would not go there, as I had a great
desire to get out of that accursed country, where I certainly underwent
great trouble and escaped many dangers, to describe which would take much
time and only prove tiresome to the reader.
On the 20th, we left Gorides, and went on, still travelling over
mountains and through forests. Occasionally, we came to a house, where
we obtained refreshments. We rested in places where there was water and
pasture for the horses, and our bed was the fresh grass. We journeyed in
this manner all through Mengrelia and Giorgiania.