Description of the Castle Kúsekht.
It stands on a chalk cliff, is of a square form, and belongs to the district of Tiflís. The castle Lorí near Tiflís was seen on our right side in the mountains, but we passed it at a great distance.
Description of Súrán.
Though a small castle on a hill, yet it is extremely strong and high: it is one of the oldest castles of Georgia built by Núshirván. Its inhabitants are Georgians, Gokdúlák and Armenians. We proceeded four hours to the west, and reached the old town Azgúr: according to the author of the Sheref-námeh, it is the oldest town in Georgia, and was built by Alexander. In the Georgian language Azgúr signifies the King of Kings. The immense blocks of stone used in the formation of the walls, show that it must have been built by Alexander, because five hundred men of the present age would not be able to move one of them; it stands on a high hill, and is of a square form; it has one gate opening to the south, a mosque, a bath, a khán, and forty small streets; the gardens are beautiful owing to the mildness of the climate; the river which passes below it, issues from the mountains of Akhiska through which it passes, and waters the gardens of the town, falling into the Araxes. This town being on the frontier of Gurgistán Shúshád, the inhabitants all speak Georgian.
Specimen of the Georgian Shúshád Language.
One, árí; two, úrí; three, sám; four, otkhí; five, khotí; six, egsí; seven, shudi; eight, revaí; nine, khújraí; ten, atí; bread, púrí; water, chígál; meat, kharj; wine, ghita; cherries, bák; pears, bishál; figs, lefi; grapes, kúrzení; hazel-nuts, inikhlí; melon, nesú; &c.
Genealogy of the Georgian Kings.
Their first kings were Jews, then Dadiáns and Shúshád, from whom originated the people of Gúriel, Achikbásh, and Mingrelia, who are all Christians. They speak twelve different languages, and only understand each other by the aid of interpreters. The purest language, according to their opinion, is that of the Shúshád and Dadián. If the dynasty of the Moscovites should be extinguished, the Princes of Georgia would succeed. The Aiza and Cherkessians who are an Arabic colony, have no books at all; according to the histories of their priests they descended from Keikavús, and then from David.
There was formerly here a Queen who pretended to reign unmarried; one night having drank with some young men, she was violated by one of them, and got with child, which happened to be a girl. To get rid of the ravisher, the Queen sent him fowl-hunting on a frozen canal, when the ice broke, and the man was swallowed up, so that all talk about the matter was at an end. The daughter married a Prince named Begdiván, and had three sons, who when of age, divided Georgia into three parts. The first Prince obtained the district of Cotatis otherwise called Básh Achik, and its inhabitants derive their descent from him. To the second, Simon, was allotted the district of Tiflís; and to the youngest, the province of Bághat; from the latter, the Dadiáns derive their lineage. This Dadián Prince was a just monarch, and even now the whole of Georgia pay homage to the Princes of Achikbásh and Dadián. When Sultán Selím I. was Governor of Trebisonde, he lived on good terms with the Beg of Achikbásh, and spent some time in the castle of Cotatis, and when he ascended the throne after Bayazíd II. he exempted by a Khattí-sheríf, the inhabitants of Achikbásh from all gifts and duties, a privilege they enjoy up to the present day; since that time it has only been the custom to send annually falcons and fine youths as presents to the Porte. We left the castle of Azgúr, and going westward through woods and fields, we arrived all well at Chaldirán and Akhaskha.