The civil government of the town is in a judge elected every two years, a senate, and a commonalty of an hundred men. The sentence of the judge is final, and is governed by laws of the place model’d according to the civil law. The city since the fire is fairly rebuilt, with a certain regularity of walls and windows to the street, and the roofs are all covered, as in Valachia, with wooden tiles. The common language is Saxon; this being one of the cities, which belong to the great colony of that nation, which makes one third of Transylvania.
May ix.
This morning we depart from Cronstadt at six a clock by the way of Feketeholm, which has a church fortified like a garrison. From thence we proceed thro woods and hills to Veledin; where in a cold watery plot of grass, surrounded with woods, we lodge this night in tents. Here I took leave of Count Tomáso, who then presented me with two other books from Constantinus Stolnichus.
May x.
General Glychensberg, who waited on his Excellency to this place from Cronstadt, now returned thither. We proceed thro a troublesome way and dark wood to Sharkan, which at length we find deliciously situated upon a river, which a little way from hence enters the Aluta, now called Alt. Here I lodged at the house of the minister, who was a Lutheran, by name George Sularius; and, it being Sunday, I attended him to their evening service.
May xi.
We set forward thro a fair, rich, and well cultivated country to Fogeras, a large but scattered town, and there take up our station by eleven a clock. His Excellency was here lodged in an house, which belonged to Count Tekely, who was prime minister to the late prince Abaffi, and slain in the defeat of General Heusler near Cronstadt. I had here some conversation with the chief pastor of the place, Michael Rozgoni, a learned Calvinist, who had studied in Holland. At Fogeras is a castle surrounded with a wide mote, and so strong, or at least so fortunate, that it is said never to have been taken by force of arms.
May xii.
From hence we proceed in six hours to Úcha, a village inhabited intirely by Valachs. And setting out early from thence the next morning, by twelve a clock we reach Porumback, a most delightful village, situated very near the banks of the Aluta; which river attended us for these three last days journey, not far from our right hand, under the adjoining hills. His Excellency was here met and complimented by general Rabutin from Hermanstadt, who came accompanied with Count Seau, the Emperor’s chief commissary in Transylvania, and two other officers of the imperial army. The General returned before diner, and left my Lord well accommodated in a pleasant country house of Prince Abaffi; whose barnes, and magazines of grain, with the adjoining fish ponds, and rich meadows, that surround the farm, we viewed this afternoon with great pleasure.