1803.) 
of fome point or other on the confines of 
the Black Sea. Ihad not been intimi- 
dated by the daggers which feemed to 
threaten me: I perceived a foreign in- 
fluence fuperadded to the accultomed 
jealouly of the Porte, and I felt that if I 
had now abandoned my defign, the French 
geographers would have been henceforth 
diverted from making any future at- 
tempts. Itherefore declared, that, having 
an exprefs miffion to go to Trebizond, I 
could not abandon it without receiving a 
formal refufal from the Sublime Porte. 
As the firman which I carried with me 
only recommended me as a naturahft, I 
was obliged to proceed with much circum- 
fpeftion. Apprehenfive that the Porte 
would throw ftill further obftacles in the 
way of my expedition, I haftened to hire 
a {mal] decked veffel which was return- 
ing to Irezeh, and was to land me at 
Trebizond. 
I took with mea time-piece of Louis Ber- 
thoud ; an excellent reflecting circle made 
by Cit. Lenoir; a good achromatic. tele- 
fcope, compaffes, and other neceffary in- 
ftruments. 
T had been previoufly informed of the 
dificulty of paffing from Trebizond to 
Erzeroum, and I therefore felt the necef- 
fity of depofiting my journals in fafety at 
Conftantinople, and efpecially of com- 
paring the time-piece with the meridian 
of Pera, to find the errors in its going. 
I fet out on my voyage at the time 
when the beys of Trebizond had expelled 
the batha from the place; but I had ex- 
perienced fo much difficulty in gaining my 
firman from the Porte, that this intelli- 
gence could not prevent me from under- 
taking my voyage. I fet fail on the ath 
of June 1797, taking with me a janiffary 
belonging to.the French palace, and two 
affiftants, whom I fince loft by a peftilen- 
tial dileafe at Aleppo. I fhall pafs over 
our paflage to Trebizond, as we almoft 
entirely kept out to fea, I had been in- 
formed, as I before mentioned, that Tre- 
bizond was in a ftate of infurreétion. 
The owner of our veffel, pretending to 
be afraid of landing there, propofed to 
take me to Irizeh, his native country, a 
town fituated between Trebizond and 
Gounieh, a port in Georgia: his inten- 
tion was that I fhould again hire his vef- 
fel for my return. The defire which I 
had of reaching the furtheft confines of 
the Black Sea, made me confent to his 
propofal: but one of his failors, alfo from 
Irizeh, diffuaded me trom it, telling me 
that his countrymen were rude and would 
MONTHLY Mac. No. 97. 
Geography of the Black Seas 
83 
not admit Chriftians, and ftill lefs Euro- 
eans. 
The evening before we were to land at 
Trebizond, I perceived by our chart, 
that we had changed our direétion. My 
janiffary, whom I informed of this, had 
a great altercation on the fubje& with our 
captain; and it was neceflary to ufe force 
to compel him to make again the cape of 
Trebizond. The fame evening we met a 
bark, the people of which affured us that 
the town was now quiet, an intelligence 
that gave us much fatisfaction. 
I arrived in this place on the 25th of 
June, at eight in the morning. To 
avoid giving offence, I immediately took 
the pofition with my time-piece, and fi- 
nifhed my obfervations. 
We had not yet anchored, when the 
news was fpread in the town, that fome 
Europeans had arrived. I was furprized 
to fee a Ruffian come on board to recon- 
noitre-us. . As I forefaw that fuch a v fit 
would gain us no favout, I treated 
him fo rudely that he was obliged to 
quit us, 
I fent my janiflary to the bafha, with 
the firman of the Grand Signor. This 
vizir, who was expelled from the tcwn, 
after reading the firman, told the janifary 
that he was forry he could not obey the 
commands of the Porte; but the chiefs 
had poffcfled themfelves of the authority, 
and it belonged to them to receive me. 
My janiflary then went to the two beys, 
Othman, and Memich-aga; the latter 
immediately fent on board two fufileers. 
I thought that they were going to conduct 
me to prifon; and I was hardly unde- 
ceived when I was taken to a ruinous 
houfe, within the caftle walls. Though 
we were drefled in the Tartar fafhion, we 
were objects of curiofity for the {mall town 
of Trebizond, and we found ourfelves fur= 
rounded with’ Turks and Lazes : however, 
being ufed to travel.in the Levant, I had 
no apprehenfion as to the obje& of their 
vifits, and I foon perceived that they did 
not view us with any diflike. 
I diftributed fome piaftres among the 
people belonging to the bafha and the two 
beys, and [at laft wasleft alone along with 
my guards. 
The day after my arrival I fent pre- 
fents to the chiefs, being well perfuaded 
that this recommendation was neceffary 
in order to give weight to that of the 
Grand Signor. I afterwards prefented my- 
felf to their audience; they quefiioned 
me much onthe affairs of Europe, and 
the conquefts of the French in Italy; and 
eS ois then 
