n6 The Persian Travels Book III. 



i'urpriz'd with a Storm, whereupon he pull'd off his Boots and carri'd them under his 

 Coat, choofing rather to go bare -foot to his lodging, then to fpoil his Boots. 



Another time, it being thecuftomof all Catholic k Ambafladors to go to Mais to 

 the Covent of Grey Friars in Vera , upon St. ¥raucvs\ day, the MenurtUm Ambaf- 

 fador after Mafs was done, coming out of the Church, and feeing ieveral baubles 

 which the Pedlcrs expofe in the Cloyfter upon that day , bought a Tin Ring , 

 two or three lmall Looking-GlafTes, and a Pipe, which he put in his mouth, 

 and went piping all the way i'th Street , as Children do coming from Fairs. 



But to return to the matter, you muft take notice that there arc not only Iron 

 Mines , but alio Mines of Gold and Silver in two places five or fix days Journey 

 from Teflis , the one call'd Soiianct^ the other Obetet. But the mifchief is, the 

 people can hardly be got to work there , for fear the Earth fhould tumbledown,- and 

 bury them in the Mine , as it has many times happen'd. 



There is alio a Mine of Gold near to a place which is call'd HarcUnoujht ', and a 

 Mine of Silver at (jimiJlie'-Konc 9 five days journey from Erz.erom, and as many from 

 Trcbifond. 



As for the people thcrr.fclvcs both Georgians and Mengrelians , they never 

 trouble themlelvcs about the jgnorance and vicioufnes of their Pricfts, or whether 

 thcybeableto inftrutf: them or no. Thericheft among them are they which are in 

 raoft credit , and ablblutely give Laws to the poor. There are alio lome heads of the 

 Church , that afliime fuch a jurifdiclion over the people , as to fell them both to the 

 Turks and Terjians , and they choole out the handfom'ft ChiIdren,both Boys and Girls, 

 to get the more money , by which authority alio the great men of the Country enjoy 

 Marry'd Women and Maids at their pleafure. They will choofe out their Children 

 for theBilhops while they are yet in their Cradles*, and if the Prince bediflatisfi'd at it, 

 all the Clergy joyns with him that makes the choice , and then together by the Ears 

 they go. In which Skirmifhes they will carry away whole Villages , and fell all the 

 poor people to the Turks and Per pans. And indeed the cuftom of felling men and 

 women is fo common in that Country , that a man may almoft affirm it to be one of 

 their chiefeft Trades. 



The Bifhops diflblve Marriages when they pleafc , and then Marry again after they 

 have fold the firft. If any of the Natives be not Marri'd to his fancy, he takes 

 another for fuch a time as he thinks fit, for which he pays her all the while as the 

 Turks do. Very few of theie people know what Baptifm means. Only two or three 

 days after the woman is brought to bed , the Prieft comes and brings a little Oyl , 

 mumbles over a few Prayers, and then anoints the Mother and the Infant, which 

 thev believe to be the beft Baptifm in the World. In (hort they are a people of 

 no Devotion at all, neither in their Ceremonies nor in their Prayers. But there 

 are great ftore of Nunneries , where the young Maids apply themfclves to their 

 Studies , and after fuch an age , whether they ftay in the Nunneries or. betake 

 themfelves to the Service of any of the great Lords, they Confefs , Baptize, 

 Marry , and perform all other Ecclefiaftical Funftions, which I never knew pra&is'd 

 in any other part of the World befide. 



CHAP. XI. 



Of Comania , Circaflia , and of certain people ^hlch they call 

 Kalmouchs. 



Comania is bounded toward the Eaft by the Cafpian Sea •, W T eftward by the 

 Mountains that divide it from Circaflia ; Northward it lies upon Afufcovia; 

 and Southward it is bounded by Georgia. From the Mountains that 

 bound upon the North-Eaft to Tercki , which is the Kiver that parts 

 Mofcovia from Comania , it is all a level Country excellent for Tillage , and aboun- 

 ding in fair Meadows and Pafturage. However it is not over-peopl'd , which is the 

 rcafon they never Sow twice together in one place. The Climate is much thefame 



