Chap. II. into P 
of Cotatis was once in this Prince’s Jurifdiclion, but the 
^urks are now Mailers of it. 
The King of Imeretta govern’d the Abcah, Mingre- 
lians^ and People of Guriel, after they had all four 
freed themfelves from the Power of the Emperors, firft 
of Conjiantinople^ and then of 'Trebifond : But in the laft 
Age, fetting up for themfelves, and revolting from one 
another, they were involved in continual Wars among 
themfelves, till calling in the Affiftance of the Turks^ 
they were all made tributary to them. The King of 
Imeretta pays eighty Boys and Girls, from ten to twen- 
ty Years of Age. The Prince of Guriel pays forty-fix 
Children of both Sexes *, and the Prince of Mingrelia 
fixty thoLifand Ells of Linnen-CIoth made in that Coun- 
try. The Abca\ feldom paid any Thing at firil, and 
now pay Nothing. The King of Imeretta^ and Prince 
of Guriel^ lend their Tribute to the Bafha of Akalzike, 
but a Chiaux gathers it at Mingrelia. 
9. Leaving Ifagour^ Odiober 4, he palTed by the 
Mouth of the River Adolphus^ called Langur by the 
Mingrelians^ one of the biggeil Rivers in Mingrelia., and 
on the 5th came to Anarghia^ a Village two Miles from 
the Sea, confifting of two hundred Houfes, but fo far 
diflant the one frorri the other, that it is two Miles from 
the firft to the laft. Hither the Lurks come to buy 
Slaves, and have Barks ready to carry them away. It is 
thought, that the fair and large City, called Heraclea^ 
flood in the fame Place. At this Town there is Plenty 
of Provifions, and that very cheap, w'z. Wild Pidgeons, 
Fowl, Porkers and Goats in Abundance, and Wine is 
plentiful. From Anarghia he fail’d up the River AsJol- 
pbuSi and went to a Place called Sapias, which is the 
Name of two little Churches, of v/hich the one is a Pa- 
rifii Church of Mingrelia^ and the other belongs to the 
‘iAheatinSy a Sort of Friers, who firft came into Mingre- 
Via in 1627, and were admitted there as Phyficians, and 
have built themfelves feveral Apartments about it, after 
the Manner of the Country. They have fome Slaves, 
and two Families of Country People their Tenants. 
They have good Employment as Phyficians, but none 
will embrace their Religion, their very Slaves refufing 
to communicate in their Services , fo that they would 
have long fince left the Country, had it not been for the 
Honour of the Roman Church and their own Order. 
After a Month’s Stay with the Monks, it not being 
fafe to travel, becaufe of the Troubles in the Country, 
he return’d again to Anarghia., and having hired a 
Feluke, iox Gonie., November the itoh, ftaid till 
the 27th to take in Loading and Pafifengers. While he 
ftaid here he was invited to two Chriftenings, and Cu- 
riofity engaged him to be prefent at them. The Man- 
ner was this : The Priett being fenc for about ten a 
Clock in the Morning, fat himfelf down in the Buttery, 
and fell to reading a Book half torn, about the Bignefs 
of a New Teftament, in Obiam. He read very 
faft, and with a low Voice, in fuch a carelefs Manner, 
as if he regarded not what he did, any more than the 
reft did what he faid, for the Father, Godfather and 
Child, who was about five Years old, went to and 
again all the Time. 
When the Prieft had read an Hour, there was a 
Bucket of warm Water got ready, into which when the 
Prieft had poured about a Spoonful of Oil of Wall- 
nuts, he bid the Godfather undrefs the Child ; which 
done, he fet him upon his Feet in the Water, and 
wafhed his Body all over well, and then the Prieft gave 
him a fmall Quantity of Myrone^ or Oil of Unblion, 
with which he anointed the Top of his Head, Ears, 
Forehead, Nofe, Cheeks, Chin, Shoulders, Elbows, 
Back, Belly, Knees and Feet, the Prieft ftill reading, 
till the Godfather drefs’d the Child, and then the Fa- 
ther bringing in Wine, Bread and Pork, they all fat 
down to eat and drink, and were all extremely drunk 
before they parted. Their Mafs they perform with 
the fame Irreverence and Carelefsnefs. 
Departing from Anarghia in fair and clear Weather, 
he difcover’d the high Lands of Trebifond on the one 
Side, and of the Abca\ on the other, and came to the 
River Kelmhel., which though not fo broad nor rapid 
as Langur, yet is deeper. 
E R s I ai 867 
10. On the 30th he came to the River which, 
taking its Rife in Mount Caucafus, runs at firft in a 
narrow Channel, though fwiftly, about Cotatis, and 
fometimes fo low, that it is eafily fordable ; but where 
it difchargeth itfelf into the Sea, which is about ninety 
Miles from Cotatis, the Channel is a Mile and half 
broad, and fixty Fathom deep, being augmented in 
that Courfe by divers Streams. The Water is muddy and 
thick, but very good to drink. There are feveral Iflands 
at the Mouth of it, which being covered with thick 
Woods, make a delightful Profpefl. Arrian fays. 
That upon one of thefe Iflands flood the Temple of 
Rhea, but there are no Remains of it now, though 
there are fome Hiflorians who fay, it was ftanding in 
the time of the Grecian Empire, and was, in Zend*^ 
Reign, dedicated to the Worfliip of Chrift. On this. 
River, and the Black-Sea about it, are Plenty of Phea*- 
fants, or Rhafiani, fo called from the Rhafis. All 
the Coafts of this River are a low fandy Soil, cover’d 
with Woods fo thick, that one can hardly fee fix Paces 
up the Land. 
On the 30th, he arrived at Gonie, which is about 
thirty Miles from Phajis, the Sea-Coafts being exceed- 
ing high Land and Rocks, fome being woody, and 
others naked. Gonie is a large Caftle, in the Territo- 
ries of the Prince of Guriel, built four fquare, of hard 
and rough Stones of a very large Size. It hath no 
Trenches, but Walls bnly, and two great Guns. In it 
are about thirty fmall poor Houfes, made of Boards, 
and without is a fmall Village of about as many more, 
all inhabited by Mariners, and other boorifb. People. 
There is a Cuftom-houfe here, the Officers whereof are 
extremely rude, and imperious, and fevere to the Peo- 
ple of the Country, but extravagant to the Europeans, 
not regarding any Man’s Perfon, nor any Recommen- 
dations from the Port, but fearching all Things ftriflly, 
and exadling what they pleafe. 
From Gonie he went to the Caftle of Akalzike. The 
Way lies over Mount Caucafus, which is one of the 
higheft Mountains, and one of the moft difficult to 
pafs over in the World. The Top is always coverH 
with Snow', over which the Natives pafs in a kind of 
Sandals, made flat like a Racket, to keep them from 
finking. It is ufual for the Guides here to make long 
Prayers to their Images to keep the Winds from rifing,for 
if the Wind be high, it buries all the Travellers in Snow. 
This Mountain, though not inhabited for fome 
Leagues together in many Places, yet is fruitful to the 
very Top, yielding Honey, Wheat, Gom, Wine, and 
Fruits, and feeding Hogs, and large Cattle. The Vines 
are fo luxuriant, that they run up to the very Tops of 
their higheft Trees, fo that the People cannot gather 
them. The Country People dwell in wooden Huts, of 
which every Family has four or five. The Women 
grind their Corn as they want itj and bake their Bread 
on Stones, or upon their Hearth, and yet the Cruft is 
very white, and the Bread good. Thefe Inhabitants 
are for the moft part Chriftians, after the Georgian Ce- 
remonies •, they are freffi compleblion’d, and their Wo- 
men are handfome. At the Bottom of the Hill is a 
very fair Valley, rich and fertile, being watered by the 
River Kur, which has many Villages, and in them the 
Ruins of feveral Caftles and Churches, which, the Peo- 
ple fay, were deftroy’d by the Lurks. 
Akalzike is a Fortrefs built upon Mount Caucafus, 
fortified with double Walls, and flanqu’d with Towers 
built with Battlements, after the ancient Manner, and 
defended with a few great Guns. Upon little Hillocks 
about it ftands a large Town of 400 Houfes, which 
have nothing of Antiquity, but two Armenian Churches. 
It is inhabited by Lurks, Armenians, Georgians, Greeks 
and Jews, who have their Churches and Synagoo-ues, 
The Kiver Kur, anciently called Cyrus and Corns, \Wiich 
rifes in the Mount Caucafus, runs by it. A Bafha lodges 
in the Fortrefs, and his Soldiers are quarter’d in the ad- 
jacent Villages. It was built by the Georgians, from 
whom the Lurks took it. 
From Akalzike he went to Gory, and palTed by Usker, 
where the Lurks have a Caftle, built on a Rock, with' a 
Garrifog 
