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XXXVIII. Account of a Journey from the Foiirefs of Stvcr- 

 jiajci, at the northern Foot of H^lount Caucafis, to Chny in 

 Perfia ; iv'ith a Defcrlption ofTejUs, the Capital of Georgia, 

 By P. F. Engklmax *. 



VV E fct out on the 14th of January, and croffeJ the 

 Terek at Mofdok, accompanied by the Perl:an ambafladcrf 

 with his attendants, and having in our fiiite two officers and 

 fix CofTacs of the Caucafian legion, and an interprtter for 

 the Perfian, Tnrkifli, and Georgian or Grufinian language. 

 The caravan confided of Iwenty-three horfes for carrying 

 our b.iggagc, and tvvcntv-fe%'en rid ins;- horfes. The wnolc 

 company were on horicback, becaufe it is not polfible to 

 travel through the mountains in any other manner. By way 

 of efcort through ilic narrow defiles to the borders of Georgia, 

 we were fiirnidied with a guard of fifty regular CofHics and 

 fixty chafleurs. 



On the T5th we crofTed the Leflcr Kabarda, which is ruled 

 by feveral princes iubjcft to the RuUian government, and 

 next day arrived at Wladi-kaukas, a fortrefs lately con- 

 ftrufted at the bottom of the higher Caucafian ridge, in 

 order to prote6l our communication with Georgia; from 

 which we proceeded on the 17th to afcend the mountains. 



Caucafus, which the Perfians, Indians, and Arabians call 

 Kukas, extends from the Black to the Cafpian fea. This ridge 

 of mountains we had to crofs in its whole breadth to the ca- 

 pital of Georgia, from which the chain proceeds to Anatolia 

 and along the Euphrates. Its greateft length is from the month 

 of the river Kiiba to Derbent. A chain of fuow monnlains 

 runs along the middle of this ridge from the Black to the 

 Cafpian fea. Two rivers flow from thefe fnow mountains in 

 this neighbourhood; one of which is the well-known Terek, 

 that throws itfclf into the Cafpian fea below the Ruflian for- 

 trefs of Kiflar; the other, called Aragui, runs towards the 

 fouth, and falls into the Kur near the town of Zchcta, at the 

 diftancc of about fifteen wcrfts from Teflis. Along the Kur 

 and the Terek a commodious road was conltru6led, about 

 two years ago, in order to open a free commimication witli 

 Georgia ; and this route in the fummer-time is pafiable for 

 carriages 3 but in the winter it is not poffible to travel in that 



• From Nr'ue Norc/ijche Bry/i^jc, by profclVor Palla«, vol. vi. 



f The liutlior accompanied, as condii<ftcr of tlie carav:!n, prince Ta- 

 mara, who was lent to Schiras and llpuhan on a political million, but 

 who, on account of fonie circumflances which took place, Uid not proceed 

 thiUicr. 



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