Account of a Jouriiey to Choj hi Verjia. 223 



/Kis in the middle a fort of cupola with a round aperture in 

 it, which ferves both lo admit light and to afibrd a pafllicre to 

 tlie fni;)ke. The fire is made in the middle of the floor^and 

 round it are the fleeping jilaces : people even pf the middle 

 clafs refide in houfcs of thii; kind. 



The city is interfered br an altonifliing number of ftreets, 

 fliort and crooked, and not above two fathoms in breadth ; 

 one principal ftrcet. only which is capable of admitting a car- 

 riage paflLs through the whole city. In my opinion there 

 is not a dirtier place in the world than Teflis ; for when the 

 fnow falls in winter it lies fomelimes on the flat roofs of the 

 houfjs to the depth of two or three feet, and is thrown down 

 into the ftreets by the inhabitants by means of fliovcls, left it 

 flioald penetrate into the houfes bv its melting, which gene- 

 rally takes place v*ery foon. As the ftreets are not paved, 

 this fnow occafions fo much dirt, that to perfons on foot they 

 are almoft impaflable. Bcfidcs, carrion of every kind, fuck 

 as dead cattle, fwine, dogs, cats, and the like, is thrown out 

 into the ftreets, where it is foflered to become putrid. Evea 

 -cloie to the czar's palace I obferved tli,e remains of a dead 

 cow, which emitted an intolerable ffeneh, and would have 

 long continued a nuifance had it not been devoured by the 

 tlogs. In winter the ftench is not fo offenfivc as in fummer 

 during the great heats, when ftrangcrs arc almoft fuflbcated 

 by it; and on this account it is very furjiri'ing that peftilen- 

 tial difeafes are not as prevalent in 'ieflisas at Couftantinople. 

 Strangers inmiediately on their arrival are feniible of.the im- 

 purity of the air, and in confequeucc of it arc continualh' 

 fick. The heahhieit time here is the autunm, becaufe the 

 flrong winds which blow then from the mountains purify 

 the air; but they would produce a much better eflecl if the 

 city were regularly built, for at prefent the ftreets are too 

 crooked and narrowto afTbrd it a free pafTage. 



The czar's palace flands on the rocky bank of the river; 

 the lower part of it is built of flone, the upper is of wood 

 and furrounded by a gallery ; but in other relpecls it has a 

 very mean appearance. In the interior part it exhibits no- 

 thing remarkable ; all its ornaments confifl merely of rich 

 and beauliful carpeting. The area before it is often fo co- 

 vered with dirt that it is impofliblc to approach the palace. 

 The magnilleence of the court is, in my opinion, much in- 

 ferior to that which we obferved at the coiu't of the l^erfian 

 ohan Achmel Mehemct, at Eriwan ; who, hov^ever, is fnb- 

 ject and tributary to the czar of Georgia. To defcribe the 

 ttifiuetti- of the court would be too tedious and ridiculous; 

 I fhall therefore only obftrve, that prince. Hcruelius is a pru- 



• dent, 



