To a resolution to carry me to their prince,
as they could not allow a person of my appearance to go on to Theodosia
without his permission. I was much alarmed by this intelligence, believing
that I should incur considerable risk of having the purposes of my journey
frustrated by this measure, and, therefore, earnestly recommended to the
ambassador to keep in mind the orders he had received on the part of the
king of Poland respecting me, and the promises he had made to Pamartin;
and I promised to make a present of a sword to the interpreter if he
succeeded to extricate me from my embarrassment. The interpreter reported
my fears and wishes to the ambassador, who succeeded, after drinking with
the Tartars, in persuading them that I was of Genoa; and, by means of a
present of fifteen ducats, he obtained permission for me to go direct for
Theodosia. Our journey through the desert continued till the 9th of June,
during which we suffered many hardships, having, at one time, been a whole
day and night without water. At length it became necessary for us to part
company, the Lithuanian ambassador and his escort taking the direct road
to Bachiserai[10], at which place the prince of the Tartars resided. On
this occasion, a Tartar was appointed to be our guide to Theodosia, and we
parted from the escort, not without considerable apprehensions of some
sudden attack from the Tartars, yet much satisfied at getting rid of that
crew, for they smelt so abominably, from feeding on horse flesh, that it
was quite intolerable to come near them.
Our whole company passed the ensuing night in carts covered with skins, in
which we were soon surrounded by a great number of persons, inquiring who
we were. On being informed by our Tartar guide that I was of Genoa, they
supplied us with milk, and left us. Resuming our journey next morning
early, we arrived that day, which was the 16th of June, at the suburbs of
Theodosia, otherwise called Kaffa. Filled with gratitude for our
preservation through so many dangers, we went privately into a church to
give thanks to God for our safe arrival; and from thence I sent my
interpreter to inform the Venetian consul of my arrival. He immediately
sent his brother to wait upon me, advising me to remain where I was till
night, when he carried me privately to a house belonging to him in the
same suburb, where I was exceedingly well received. I here found Paulus
Omnibamus, who had left Venice three months before me, under the orders of
our illustrious republic.
[1] In the latter part of this journey, the date of his return to Venice
is the 10th of April. - E.
[2] Called Tarvisin, in the original. - E.
[3] Called Conigiano, in the edition of Bergeron. - E.
[4] This small city stands on a small river which runs into the Werta, at
the western extremity of what was Poland, about sixty-seven miles from
Poznan. It is called Messaricie in the original. - E.
[5] Lausicie in the original. - E.
[6] Named Chio in the original. The second name, Magrano, is afterwards
called Magraman by Contarini, or his French translator. - E.
[7] Named Chio in the original, but which must necessarily be Kiow, or
Kieu, now belonging to Russia. The three formerly mentioned stages
Jusch, Aitomir, and Belligraoch, must either be villages of too little
importance to find a place in geographical maps, or their names are so
corrupted as to be unintelligible. The direct road from Lublin to Kiow,
passes through the palatinates of Russia, Wolhynia, and Kiow,
provinces of ci-devant Poland, now annexed to the Russian empire. - E.
[8] The original says April, but attention to the context distinctly
points out this necessary correction. - E.
[9] From this circumstance it evidently appears that the journey from Kiow
had hitherto been on the right or west of the Dnieper or Boristhenes,
through the country of the Nogais Tartars, now forming the western
portion of the Russian province of Catharinoslau; and we may suppose
the wide part of that river they had now to cross to have been
somewhere about Cherson. - E.
[10] Named Arcercheriher in the French translation of Contarini; but which
must necessarily be some corruption of Baschiserai, the residence of
the khan of the Crim Tartars. - E.
SECTION II.
_Contarini, leaving Kaffa, crosses the Euxine to the city of Phasis,
whence he pursues his journey through Mingrelia, Georgia, and part of
Armenia, into Persia_.
It is impossible for me to give any exact description of the city of Kaffa,
or Theodosia, or of its government, as the danger of incurring suspicion
obliged me to remain continually at home; on which account I can only
mention such particulars as I learned from others. It is situated on the
Euxine, and is celebrated for a great fair, which is much frequented, on
which account the city is very populous, and is said to be very rich and
powerful. I hired a vessel belonging to Anthony Valdat, which lay in the
Palus Meotis, to carry me to the city of _Phasis_. When I was ready to
embark, I met with two Armenians, one of whom had been on an embassy to
Rome, from Uzun Hassan, and was persuaded by them to prefer disembarking
at _Tina_, about an hundred miles from Trebisond, instead of Phasis,
alleging that from Tina it was only four hours journey to a castle named
_Arrius_, which depended upon the king of Persia, and promising to conduct
us to that place in safety. Although I was by no means satisfied with this
advice, I allowed myself to be guided by the consul and his brother, who
agreed in opinion with the Armenians.
