CHAPTER VI.
The Illustrious Ambassador leaves Fasso, returns through Mengrelia and Giorgiania, enters Media, crosses the Bachu or Caspian Sea, and reaches Tartary.
On the 17th, we mounted our horses, as I have mentioned, and returned through Mengrelia with some difficulty. On the 21st we were in Cotatis, and, as our guide gave me much trouble, I was obliged to dismiss him. We remained at Cotatis till the 24th, partly because I did not feel well, and partly to wait for some people to accompany us. At length we started in company with some people whom we neither knew nor understood, and travelled over certain mountains, not without fear, until the 30th, when we reached Tiflis. Here I dismounted, more dead than alive, at the church of an Armenian Catholic, by whom we and many others were certainly well received. This priest had a son, who, to our misfortune, fell sick of the plague, which had been very prevalent at this place during the year. As my people went in his company, he gave it to Mapheo da Bergamo, the servant, who attended me, and who kept near me for two days while ill with it. Having at length thrown himself down on his bed, and his disease being discovered, I was advised to move to other quarters. A place where cows were kept at night having been cleaned as well as it was possible, and furnished with a little hay, I was made to rest in it on account of my great weakness. The priest would not allow Mapheo to remain in his house any longer, and, as there was nowhere else, it was necessary to put him in a corner of the place where I was. He was waited upon by Priest Stephano, but it pleased our Lord God to take him. I then obtained, after many prayers, another cowshed, where I was accommodated in a similar manner. We were abandoned by everyone except an old man, who understood a little Turkish, and continued to serve us. But how we fared may be easily judged. We remained at Tiflis until the 21st of October; on the day preceding which, as my good fortune would have it, there arrived the Turkish ambassador, who had accompanied brother Ludovico, the Patriarch of Antioch. From him I learnt that when they had proceeded as far as Avogasia they had been robbed of everything, and that the robbery was to be attributed to the Patriarch himself. He had, therefore, left him to return to his own country, and said that this would cause great dissatisfaction to Ussuncassan. I condoled with him as well as I could, and we left together on the 21st of October. Tiflis belongs to Pangrati, King of Giorgiania. After travelling two days we entered the territory of Ussuncassan, as it was on our way to Samachi, and passed through a fine country.
On the 26th of October, 1475, we came to a place where we were obliged to separate, as it was necessary that I should travel through the country of Sivanza, in order to reach the town of Samachi, and that the ambassador should go towards his own country. By means of this ambassador I obtained a Turkish priest as a guide as far as Samachi. Having taken leave, we started with the guide and entered Media, which is a much more beautiful and fertile country than that of Ussuncassan, and consists mostly of plains. Here we fared very well.
On the 1st of November, 1475, we arrived at Samachi, a town belonging to Sivanza, the Lord of Media, where silks called Talamana and others of a light texture are made, as well as satins. This city is not so large as Tauris; but is, in my opinion, a better city in every respect, and abounds in all kinds of provisions. While here we met Marco Rosso, the ambassador of the Duke of Muscovy, with whom we had travelled to Fasso. He had gone by way of Gorgora, and had arrived here after a very troublesome journey. He had the courtesy to pay me a visit at the caravanserai where I was staying; and when we had embraced each other cordially, I begged him to admit me into his company, which he did in the most kind and courteous manner.
On the 6th, we left here with Marco for Derbent, a city belonging to the said Simanza, on the confines of the Tartar country. After travelling partly over mountains and partly over plains, and lodging occasionally in Turkish villages, where we were hospitably received, we reached, midway, an agreeable little town where an incredible number of fruit trees, especially apple trees, are grown, of excellent quality.
On the 12th, we arrived at Derbent. As, in order to reach Russia, it was necessary to cross the plains of Tartary, we were advised to winter here and cross over the Sea of Bachu, to Citracan[160], in April. The city of Derbent is situated on the Sea of Bachu or Caspian Sea, and is said to have been founded by Alexander the Great. It is called the Iron Gate, as it is only possible to enter Media and Persia through this city, on account of its being situated in a deep valley, which extends into Circassia. It is surrounded by five broad and well made walls; but of that portion of the city beneath the mountain, on the way to the castle, not a sixth part is inhabited, and the portion bordering on the sea is all destroyed. It has a great number of sepulchres. It abounds in all kinds of provisions, much wine is produced, and fruit of every description is grown in abundance. The Caspian Sea is very large, as it is without outlet. It is said to be equal in circumference to the Mar Maggiore, and is also very deep. Sturgeon and morone are caught in it in very great numbers, but they do not know how to catch other fish. There are a great many dog-fish, with heads, feet, and tails, really resembling those of dogs. Another kind of fish is also caught, about a braccio and a half in length, almost round, without any visible head or anything. From this fish a certain liquor, used all over the country, is extracted, which is burned in lamps, and employed to anoint camels with. We remained at Derbent from the 12th of November until the 6th of April, when we embarked, during which time we certainly fared well. The natives are a fine race, and we never experienced the slightest injury. We were asked who we were, and when we said we were Christians, they required nothing more. I wore a jacket all torn, lined with lambskin; above this, a very sorry pellisse, and, on my head, a lambskin cap. Thus attired I went about the city and the bazaar, and often carried home meat. Yet I heard people say, “This does not look like a man used to carry meat.” And Marco blamed me also, saying that I looked as though I were in a Sanctuary (Franchisa).[161] I answered that I was unable to dress otherwise, and I was certainly surprised that, being so ragged, they should have had such an opinion of me. As I have said, however, we fared well. While in this place, as I was desirous of hearing how the affairs of Ussuncassan and the Magnificent M. Josapha Barbaro were going on, I determined to send Dimitri, my interpreter, to Tauris, a journey of twenty days. He went, and returned fifty days afterwards, bringing me letters from Josapha, who wrote that the lord was there, but that nothing could be ascertained concerning him. An arrangement was then made by Marco with the master of a vessel to carry us to Citracan. The vessels here are kept on shore during the winter, when they cannot be used. They are called fishes, which they are made to resemble in shape, being sharp at the head and stern and wide amidships. They are built of timbers caulked with rags, and are very dangerous craft. No compass is used, as they keep continually in sight of land. They use oars, and, although everything is done in a most barbarous manner, they look upon themselves as the only mariners worthy of the name. To sum up, these people are all Mahometans.
April 6th, 1476. We had been obliged to stay with our baggage on board the vessel, which was drawn up on shore waiting for favourable weather, for about eight days. During this time, as Marco remained in the city, we were not without fear, as we were alone. It having pleased our Lord God, however, to send us at length a favourable breeze, we all assembled on the shore, and, the vessel being set afloat, we immediately embarked and made sail. We were in all thirty-five persons, including the captain and six mariners; there were on board some merchants taking rice, silk, and fustians to Citracan for the Russian market, and some Tartars going to procure furs for sale in Derbent. We started, then, on the above-mentioned day with a favourable wind, and kept constantly at the distance of about fifteen miles from a mountainous coast. After three days’ sail we passed these mountains and came to a beachy shore, when, the wind becoming contrary, we dropped one of our anchors: this was at about four hours before evening. The wind having increased, however, and the sea got rough in the night, we looked upon ourselves as lost, so we resolved to weigh our anchor and take our chance in running ashore. When the anchor was raised we crossed the sea, and the waves, which were running high on account of the wind, threw us aground. It pleased our Lord God, however, to save us by means of these big waves, which carried us over the rocks, and we were driven into a little creek, as long as the vessel itself, and it really seemed as if we had entered a port, as the sea broke so many times before it reached us, that it could do us no damage. We were all obliged to jump into the water, and carry our things ashore well soaked. The vessel leaked also, from having gone on the rocks, and we ourselves were very cold, both from the wet and the wind. In the morning, after holding council, it was determined that no fire should be lighted, as we were in a most dangerous place on account of its being frequented by Tartars, the foot-marks of whose horses were visible on the beach. As there was a boat, which appeared to have been lately broken, we thought that the horsemen, whose traces we had seen, had been there to capture the crew, either dead or alive; we were, therefore, in great fear and in continual expectation of attack. We became reassured, however, when we perceived beyond the beach a number of marshes, which proved that the Tartars could not be very near the shore. We remained at this place until the 13th, when the weather became favourable for continuing our voyage. The things belonging to the mariners were then put on board, and when the vessel had been taken off the rocks the other baggage was taken in, and we set sail. This was on Holy Saturday. After sailing about thirty miles, a contrary wind again sprang up; but, as there were some small cane islands on our lee, we were compelled to make for them, and we ran into a place where there was very little water. The wind having increased, and the vessel touching ground occasionally on account of the swell, the captain made us all leave the vessel and land on a small cane island, to reach which I was obliged to put my bags on my shoulder and wade ashore with bare legs as well as I could; but I was very cold and in considerable danger on account of the surf which washed over me. On reaching land I found shelter under the canes, which I entered with my people, and we endeavoured to dry ourselves as well as we could. The seamen, with great trouble, then took the vessel to a place sheltered from the wind, where it was out of danger. From what I was given to understand, the Tartars were in the habit of coming to this island in the summer to fish.
On the morning of the 14th, which was Easter Sunday, while on this cane island and suffering from cold, with nothing wherewith to celebrate the day but a little butter, one of Marco’s attendants, as he was walking along the rock, found nine duck’s eggs, which he gave to his master, who had them made into an omelet with butter, and presented us each with a piece. With this we kept the day in a proper manner, and returned thanks to God. As those about us were often curious to know who I was, it was agreed between Marco and myself that I should pass for a doctor. They were told, therefore, that I was the son of a physician in the service of Despina, the daughter of the despot Thomas, who had come from Rome to marry the Duke of Muscovy, and that, being poor and in her service, I was going to the Duke and to Despina to seek my fortune. One of our sailors, who was suffering from an abscess, having asked my advice soon afterwards, I applied a plaister composed of a little oil, bread, and flour, which I found on board, and in three days, by good fortune, the abscess broke, and he was cured. For this I was looked upon as a perfect doctor, and requested to stay with them. Marco, however, made an excuse for me, saying that it could not be then, but that, after I had been in Russia a short time, I should return.