The Journey Hitherto Must Have Been
Through Mingrelia, Then Apparently Subject To The Prince Or King Of
Georgia.
- E.
[7] Probably Caloyers. - E.
SECTION III.
_Arrival of Contarini at Tauris or Ecbatana, the royal city of Uzun-
Hassan, and continuation of his journey through Persia to Ispahan, where
the king then resided._
On the 22d of July we began to ascend a mountain of prodigious height,
insomuch, that when night came on we had scarcely reached the top, where
we had to pass the night without water. Resuming our journey in the
morning, we descended the other side of the mountain, and entered the
province of Armenia, which is under the dominion of Uzun-Hassan[1]. In
the evening we were conducted to a fort named Reo, which stands in the
plain, between a deep river and a high mountain, and which is garrisoned
by Turks in the service of Uzun-Hassan, but the neighbouring village is
inhabited by Armenians. We rested in this place till the 25th of July,
waiting the arrival of a guide to direct us in the remainder of the
journey, and being well treated by the inhabitants, we rewarded them to
their satisfaction. The Armenian who had joined us at Kaffa, under
pretence of being an ambassador from Uzun-Hassan to the Pope, was
recognized by the inhabitants of this village as an impostor and a
notorious robber, and many were astonished how we had escaped from his
machinations: I got rid of him therefore immediately, and made him
restore me a horse which I had lent him for the journey; after which I
procured a priest of an honest character to conduct me to Tauris.
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