21st August. We still continued near Ararat; meanwhile we passed by Russian and German colonies, the houses in the latter had exactly the appearance of those in German mountain villages. The road was, throughout, very uneven and stony, and I cannot imagine how the post can travel upon it.
Today I met with another very unpleasant adventure. My caravan encamped in the neighbourhood of the station Sidin, about fifty paces from the side of the post-road. Towards 8 in the evening I walked out as far as the road, and as I was about to return I heard the sound of post-horses coming; I remained in the road to see the travellers, and noticed a Russian, seated in an open car, and by his side a Cossack, with a musket. When the vehicle had passed, I turned quietly round; but, to my astonishment, heard it stop, and felt myself, almost at the same moment, seized forcibly by the arms. It was the Cossack who held me, and endeavoured to drag me to the car. I tried to release myself, pointed to the caravan, and said that I belonged to it. The fellow immediately stopped my mouth with his hand, and threw me into the car, where I was tightly held by the other man. The Cossack immediately jumped up, and the driver urged his horses on as quickly as they could go. The whole was done so quickly that I scarcely knew what had happened to me. The men held me tightly by the arms, and my mouth was kept covered up until we were so far from the caravan that the people belonging to it could no longer have heard my cries.
Fortunately I was not frightened; I thought at once that these two amiable Russians might, in their zeal, have taken me for a very dangerous person, and have supposed they had made a very important capture. When they uncovered my mouth, they commenced questioning me as to my native country, name, etc. I understood enough Russian to give them this information, but they were not satisfied with that, and required to see my passport; I told them that they must send for my portmanteau, and then I would show them that I had permission to travel.
We came, at last, to the post-house, where I was taken into a room; the Cossack placed himself with his musket under the open door, so as to keep his eye continually on me; and the other man, who, from his dark-green velvet facings, I supposed to be one of the Emperor’s officers, remained some time in the room. At the end of half an hour, the post-master, or whoever he was, came to examine me, and to hear an account of the achievements of my captors, who hastened, with laughing countenances, to give a complete statement of what had happened.
I was obliged to pass the night, under strict guard, upon a wooden bench, without either a wrapper or a mantle with me, and suffering from hunger and thirst. They neither gave me a coverlet nor a piece of bread; and when I merely rose from the bench to walk up and down the room, the Cossack rushed in immediately, seized my arms, and led me back to the bench, telling me, at the same time, that I must remain there quietly.
Towards morning they brought me my luggage, when I showed them my papers, and was set at liberty. Instead, however, of apologizing for having treated me in such a way, they laughed at me; and when I came out into the court, every one pointed at me with their fingers, and joined my gaolers in their laughter. Oh! you good Turks, Arabs, Persians, Hindoos, or whatever else you may be called, such treatment was never shown to me amongst you! How pleasantly have I always taken leave of all your countries; how attentively I was treated at the Persian frontiers, when I would not understand that my passport was required, and here, in a Christian empire, how much incivility have I had to bear during this short journey!
On the 22nd of August I rejoined my caravan, where I was received with cordiality.
23rd August. The country still presented the same features; one large valley succeeding another. These valleys are less cultivated than those in Persia; today, however, I saw one which was tolerably well planted, and in which the villagers had even planted trees before their huts.
24th August. Station Erivan. I was happy to have reached this town, as I hoped to meet with some of my country-people here, and, by their help, to find a quicker mode of conveyance to Tiflis. I was determined to leave the caravan, since we did not go more than four hours a day.
I had two letters; one to the town physician, the other to the governor. The latter was in the country; Dr. Müller, however, received me so well that I could not possibly have been better taken care of.