Account of a Journey to Choy hi Verfia, 237 



Dn the i8th our road lav over the cold fnow mountains 

 from Bamback. We were Hill eighty werfts from the tirlt 

 Perfian town Eriwan, and had afcended the ridge, which 

 extends fixty werltsj when all of a fudden, after having tra- 

 velled five werfts, we were alTailed by a violent wind, which 

 accumulated the fnow in heaps before us; fo that we were 

 obliged to return, to avoid being buried alive : a cataftrophe 

 which whole caravans fumetinies experience among thefe 

 mountains, as they mull travel here fixty werfts without 

 finding any village or place of Ihelter, and confequently can 

 hope for no affiftance when overtaken by a fnow ftorm. 



On the 19th of February we purfued another route, in 

 order to avoid, in fome meafure, the fnow mountains. This 

 route however was full 150 werfts longer, and exceedingly 



called by the Ruffians Grufinia, is unircd to the crown, gives an account 

 of the motives that determined this meafure. The fovereigns of Ruifia 

 have always confidered it as a duty to proteft that rtate : the withdrawing 

 of tiie Riillian troops from it had occalioned every kind of diforder, and 

 civil war had often burft forth. The barbaious tribes by whom it is 

 farrounded, threatened it on everv fide ; and without the Ruffians ii was 

 impoffible to reprcfs the banditti of Mount Caucallis. When the emperor 

 Alexander afcended the throne, he found Geoigia united to the crown, ia 

 confequence of a manifefto dated January 18, 1X01. However, as the 

 Ruffians had produced tranquillity in it, the emperor was dtfiious of trying 

 to rcftore to it its independence ; but this country had again to dread the 

 vengeance of thofc wiio had been excluded fiom the fbvereignty — it was 

 threatened with a new civil war. The prmce by whom it was governed 

 could not fecure it either internally or externally, and to all thefe cir- 

 cumftances was added the wilh of the Georgians thcmfelves. ' Your 

 hopes this time,' faid the emperor to them, ' (hall not be dtceived. It 

 is not to increafe my power ; it is not for mtereft ; it is not to extend the 

 boundaries of an empire alreadv fo extcnfive, that wc have taken upon us 

 the government of Grufinia : our dignitv alone, our honour and humanity, 

 impofe on us the facred obligation of lifteniiig to the voice of thofe who 

 foffer; and to eft.iblifti in Grufinia a juft government, which may cnfurc 

 the fafcty of perfons and property, and the protetinig force of the law.' 



" Thcfe arc the intentions of our aiiguft mondrth. The produce of the 

 taxes of Georgia will not go out of the country; it will be confecrated to 

 the fupport of government, to the reparation of towns and villages rviined 

 by inteftine war, and to the relief of the inhabitants. Each will be main- 

 tained in his rights, and in the excrcife of his religion. The children of 

 the princes will retain their tllates, and may live where they pleafe. Lieu- 

 tenant-general Knorring, a native of Georgia, will be charged with the 

 government; and in order that he may carry into elfcft the inftruftions of 

 the emperor, he will aflfociatc with him o^her perfons born in the country. 

 All the Georgians will take an o^th of fidelity to their new Ibveieign, and 

 the ecclefiafiics and pafiors will be the firll to give this example of fub- 

 milfion. 



" His majcfty concludes with expreffing an ardent wifli that psace and 

 juftice may jirevail in the country ; that an end may he put to a£ts of vio- 

 lence J and that agriculture, indullry, commerce, and manufaflures, may 

 revive, under the protcdlioa of the new laws, equal to all.'' — Edit. 



P % dangerous^, 



