CHAPTER V.
The Illustrious Ambassador leaves Tauris, and, after being attacked several times while travelling through Georgiana and Mengrelia, at last arrives at Fasso.
On the 28th, I dined with Messer Josafà Barbaro in his tent, and we both felt the hardship of separation, and a hardship it certainly was. We embraced each other, and parted with many tears. I mounted my horse in company with the Patriarch, the Turkish ambassadors, and Marco Rosso, and we started, as I think, in an evil hour, considering the misfortunes and great perils which I underwent. Travelling through the country of Ussuncassan, on our way to Fasso, we arrived at the nine Catholic Armenian villages, of which we have already spoken, where we lodged in the house of the Bishop, who received us kindly, and where we heard a Catholic Mass. We remained there three days to furnish ourselves with provisions, after which we started, and travelled over plains and an occasional mountain, until we entered the country of the King of Giorgiania.
On the 12th of July, 1475, having passed a river named Tigris, we arrived at a city belonging to this king called Tiphis, situated on a little hill with its castle, which is very strong, on the hill higher up. This city has the reputation of having been very large, but much of it has been destroyed. What little remains contains a numerous population, among which are many Catholics. Here, also, we met with an Armenian Catholic, with whom we lodged.
On the 15th, while riding through Georgiania, for the most part over mountains, we passed a few villages and occasionally saw a castle on the summit of a mountain.
On the 18th, when near the confines of Mengrelia, we met King Pangrati in the midst of a wood surrounded by mountains, and we all went to pay him a visit. He wished us to eat with him, and we sat down on the ground with skins for a table-cloth, according to their fashion. Our repast consisted of roast meat with a little poultry, badly cooked, and a few other things; but there was wine in abundance, as they consider that to treat their guests with wine is the greatest honour they can show them. When the eating was over, they began the debauch with certain goblets half a braccio long, and those who drank most were the most esteemed. As the Turks do not drink wine, we rose from the contest and finally took our leave, for which reason we were looked upon with much contempt. The king was tall, and about forty years of age; he had a brown complexion, and a Tartar expression of countenance, but was nevertheless a handsome man.
On the morning of the 20th we left here, and, travelling through Georgiania almost continually over a mountainous country, came to the confines of Mengrelia, where, on the 22nd, we met the captain of certain men, on foot and on horseback, belonging to the king, who, on account of some troubles which there were in Mengrelia, occasioned by the death of King Bendian, compelled us, with many menaces, to stop. They then took from us two quivers with the bows and arrows, and we gave them some money. Being then allowed to go, we left the road as fast as we could, and entered a wood, where we remained that night in great fear of being attacked.
On the morning of the 23rd, while going through a narrow pass on our way to Cotatis, we were attacked by some people of a village who stopped us, threatening to take our lives. After a great deal of parleying they took three horses belonging to the Turkish ambassadors, the bearers of the present, and it was only with much trouble and by paying about twenty ducats of their money, and giving up some horses and bows, that we were allowed to pass on. We then proceeded to Cotatis, a castle belonging to the king.
On the morning of the 24th, being obliged to cross a river by a bridge, we were attacked and compelled to pay a grosso for each horse, which certainly caused us much vexation. After leaving here we entered Mingrelia, sleeping continually in the forests.