Louis-François de Ferrières-Sauveboeuf (1762-1814) was a French traveler who visited the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Arabia during a lengthy trip in 1782-1789, on the instructions of the French Foreign Minister Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes, who was keen on acquiring first hand information about the situation in the region.
Ferrières-Sauveboeuf maintained an travel journal that was published shortly after his return to France. Entitled "Mémoires historiques, politiques et géographiques des voyages du Comte de Ferrières-Sauveboeuf," the two-volume travelogue was published in Paris in 1790 and was almost immediately translated into Dutch and English. It contains interesting observations about people and areas that Ferrières-Sauveboeuf had visited during his journey. Ferrières-Sauveboeuf devoted much of the chapter XXII (pp. 268-276) to his description of Georgia.
Georgia, known in ancient times by the name of Iberia, enjoys a good climate, with great fertility of soil. Its inhabitants have been always renowned for their valour - they are esteemed [as] the best soldiers in Asia. The Georgians have been successively subject to the Turks, and tributary to the monarchs of Persia, who retain great numbers of them in their service. I have seen seen about 2000 in the army of Ali Mourad Khan who held them in the highest estimation as soldiers. Nadir Shah, known in Europe by the name of Thamas Kouli Khan, upon his return from the conquest of India, invested Prince Heraclius, who embraced Mahometism, with the government of Georgia. He had been previously dispossessed of his government by Prince Alexander, whose family reigned long since at Teflis, and who, upon this occasion, fled into Russia, in order to escape the pursuit of the conquering Khan.
The Turks long contended with Nadir Shah for the sovereignty of Georgia, and the other divisions of Mount Caucasus. The people inhabiting around the Caspian Sea submitted, about the same time, to the Persian chief [Nadir Shah], and returned not, till after his death, to their allegiance to their natural lords. Heraclius, now eighty years of age, still continues to rule Georgia, and the province of Kaket [Kakhetia]. His eldest son, Aoud Khan, has given various proofs of valour in engagements with the Lesguis [Lezghians] and Komouks, who make frequent inroads into Georgia, to carry off young Georgian girls, whose beauty is the ornament of the Turkish and Persian seraglios.
There is in Georgia no fortified town. But Caucasus guards its frontiers. This martial race may, indeed, be conquered, but it is impossible that they should ever remain long subject to any conqueror. The Georgians are distinguished from other races by their physiognomy - they have almost all a fine figure, regular features, and an air of dignity. They are of an open character, of a generous spirit, mild in temper, yet irrepressible when their anger is provoked. Their religious creed and worship are a medley, partly Greek, partly Armenian. But they are in nowise superstitious, nor ever blame any person for not believing or worshipping in their mode.
Teflis, the capital of Georgia, is a large -town, lying along the banks of the river Kur, but consisting only of indifferent buildings. A citadel, of small importance at present, overlooks and commands it. Its walls are flanked with large towers, but the dilapidations of time have left them no longer in a condition to resist a siege. There is a square, considerably spacious, and not inelegant, which serves for the market-place. The Prince's palace is large enough, but has nothing remarkable about it, except for the gardens. Here is a house belonging to the Catholic -mission, possessed by Capuchin friars from Florence; and several monasteries, in which young women are frequently placed by their parents, till they can be settled in marriage. The nuns in these monasteries are not bound to perpetual virginity and residence, yet they are authorized to perform some of the clerical functions. They administer baptism and extreme unction. Here are also schools for the education of boys, who, after learning to read and write, become commonly either soldiers or husbandmen. They seldom turn themselves to trade, but leave this branch of employment to the Armenians, of whom great numbers are settled in Teflis. There are few Muslims, although Prince Heraclius, since returning to the religion of his forefathers [Christianity], has allowed them to build and open mosques in this city.
The exports of Georgia consist of great quantities of silk, wines, and alcohol [eau-de-vie], the last of which is exchanged for Russian furs. The Georgians, and other inhabitants of Caucasus, sell their daughters to merchants, who spare them the expense of educating and settling them in marriage. And they are not concerned about the future fate of these young women, as their beauty seems to promise them splendor and happiness. But their male children they do not sell. All the Georgian and Circassian slaves in Asia, and those of whom the Egyptian mameluks, in the service of the beys, are composed, have been kidnapped or carried off, in hostile incursions by the Tartars and Lesguis.
Vines grow in Georgia, much in the same manner as in Lombardy. They produce abundance of fruit. The Georgians, and even the women among them, often drink to intoxication, especially at religious festivals. The Georgian cellars are caves hewn out in the rocks, and plastered within. The Georgian women are in general handsome - they have large black eyes, and rosy cheeks. They have not the character of being too cruel; their obliging temper makes strangers prefer them to all the women in Asia; especially since those in other Asiatic countries are so rigorously secluded from society. All the Muslim men, too, give the preference to the fair maids of Georgia. They are far from bashful, and readily give their lovers pledges, which signify that they would gladly grant them more.
Mingrelia is the ancient Colchis. Whatever may have been meant by the golden fleece, for which it was once so famous, it is certain, that at present it abounds in lovely fair-haired [blondes] damsels. This country includes two provinces beside those which have been mentioned, Imeretia and Guria. The death of Soliman Khan [King Solomon I of Imeretia, died in 1784], who had, with uniform steadiness, resisted the arms and negotiations of the Russian Empress [Catherine II], left the inhabitants of these provinces in a disposition to submit without difficulty to the power of Catherine.
This vast country lies along the Black Sea, and contains mines of copper and iron; immense forests, affording excellent wood for the dock-yards; and abundance of game, which tempts the inhabitants to neglect the other natural advantages of their situation. The Mingrelians are handsomely shaped, their women resembling the Georgian beauties. But they are stupid and dissolute. A stranger who travels among both, cannot avoid seeing the great superiority of the Georgians. The Ottoman Porte have, for some time, lost their influence in Mingrelia. They have indeed given orders, but without effect, to the Pasha of Kars, to claim the ancient tribute. The Mingrelians have some superstitious practices prevalent among them, but of religion they know very little. They call themselves Christians, but are little concerned about mixing their creed.
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