Thursday, 27th [July]. Mounted at five A.M. and in a few hours came in sight of Teflis, the capital of Georgia. We traveled parallel to the banks of a small but rapid river, Kur, for two or three miles, and observed large undershot wheels in action, raising water for the purpose of irrigating extensive gardens. As the wheel turned round, small buckets, which were fastened on the interior side, filled and emptied themselves at the extreme height into a trough, and thus the water was conveyed in wooden spouts to any-distance.
On arriving within a mile of the city, we were most unnecessarily detained, for an hour and a half, at a post house or small guard, from whence our passport was sent, for the inspection of same of the public authorities, before we could proceed into the city. After this we were marched off first to the main-guard, and afterwards to the commander of the forces, before we were permitted to get quarters. We were at length conducted to the house of a respectable Georgian gentleman, Yakoob Khan, where we met our traveling companion, the Hon. Mr. Law, and Captain Willock of the Bombay artillery. We dined at a good tavern, kept by a Frenchman.
Friday, 28th. An aid-de-camp of General Williameenoff’s [Velyaminov] paid us a visit, and in the general’s name invited us to dine with him on Sunday next. In the afternoon this officer returned, and we accompanied him to pay our respects to his excellency, who is in immediate command of the forces here. The general received us with great affability. Although coarse and uncouth in his appearance, he is a man of considerable talents and acquirements. We had this day a second visit from the police master, who seemed inclined to be polite and attentive to strangers. Captain Willock went off on his return to Persia, and Mr. Law to prosecute his journey to Old England.
Saturday, 29th. Dined at the French tavern, and met a young German, Baron Mainsing, to whom we had been introduced by Mr. Law. This youth is lively and agreeable; but having, as I understand, killed an officer in a duel, he was obliged to quit the German Legion, in which he had served, and seek his fortune in other climes; the rents of his estates having been forfeited for twenty years.
Sunday, 30th. Dined with his Excellency General Williameenoff at one o’clock, and paid a visit to the Baron Mainsing in the evening. We had a few Russian officers at supper in the French tavern. Nothing can be more ridiculous than the extent to which the emperor has issued medals, crosses, and orders of knighthood, to all descriptions of people, and for any kind of service, civil or military. You hardly meet a man who does not sport a few of these toys. In short, they are no longer honourable distinctions for eminent services.
Teflis, the capital of Georgia, lies on the banks of the river Kur and never was a town more unhappily situated with reference to the surrounding country. The southern part of Georgia, before you reach Teflis, is a country abounding in all the luxuriance and beauty of nature. In like manner, after you leave this city, in traveling towards the north, you meet with a great many beautiful situations. But Teflis stands in a narrow valley, bounded on both sides by rugged and naked hills, which render it extremely hot at this season of the year; nor have the people recourse to any of our Indian methods of keeping their houses cool. We therefore found this place very unpleasant. There is but little in the town deserving of notice. I accompanied the Baron Mainsing, and a Russian gentleman, to pay a visit to the Russian church, while divine service was performed. The church is handsome, and the chanting solemn. The government-house, the guard-room, and the churches, are the chief buildings and they are very good for the place. In the river there are many floating mills for grinding grain. The mill rests on two barges or boats, and is kept in the centre so as to have a current of water powerful enough to turn the wheel.
Although the faces of the Georgian females are, in general, handsome, and their eyes beautiful, their figures are as often defective. They have a squat appearance, and an awkward gait.
I was in the house of a Russian officer of rank, when his lady, a very pretty young woman, returned from paying some evening visits ; and to me it appeared strange to see her kiss him first, and then favour all his friends with a similar mark of tenderness. Being a stranger, I was not entitled to such a compliment. Even when Russian gentlemen take leave of each other for any length of time, they embrace and kiss, after the manner of the Arabs.
I understand that the Russian officers are very ill paid. A subaltern gets only 800 paper rubles per annum, equal to about 150 rupees, (or 18 Sterling.) But he has quarters found him, a horse to ride when ordered to move on duty, and, I believe, rations. The quartering of the officers must be an extreme annoyance to the Georgians, every man being obliged to give up a portion of his house for that purpose ; and thus the privacy of every family is destroyed. Nothing of this kind would be tolerated in India. Were a man to give such an order, he might as well direct the town to be burnt, for a high spirited Hindoo would never survive the disgrace of his women being exposed to the company of strangers.
At Teflis, you meet with the first shade of European comfort in houses, etc.; and when it is recollected, that the Russians have only been in possession of it twenty years, it must be allowed they have improved the place much.
Monday, 31st. With the assistance of Yakoob Khan, the gentleman in whose house we lived, we procured for the bills we brought 700 ducats, and settled all our business at Teflis. We had arranged to travel with a party of Cossacks. The police master paid us a visit in the morning, and gave us our passports and order for horses, etc. We dined with this gentleman at one o’clock, and everything being settled, we mounted post horses at half-past six pm and had proceeded about a mile out of the town, when we were compelled by a guard to return to the main guard, for the purpose of getting our passports signed by the officer on duty. In the mean time, the Cossacks went on, and before we could return to overtake them, the night had become so very dark that we could not see the road. Thinking we must have been upon the right track, we rode on smartly to come up with the Cossacks, until we had gone over many miles. The road was, however, at length entirely lost, and we were compelled to lie down on the ground, without cloaks, carpets, or any other covering, in one of the most raw disagreeable nights I was ever exposed to. I fastened my horse to one hand, and went to sleep with my head resting on my arm. In the course of an hour or two I awoke, with a most uncomfortable chill all over me, and a severe pain between my shoulders. We could not remain longer here, and remounting we rode on a few miles farther, when, thinking we must have passed our destined stage, we again lay down, but in a more sheltered situation, and slept until day-break. We then proceeded to a village, and discovered that we had completely gone out of our road; so that we were obliged to return to the post house of Ratiskari, at least twelve miles from that village.
Aug. 1st, Tuesday. We remained at this post house until five pm when we mounted fresh horses, and, after exposure to heavy rain for some hours, arrived at Dooshut [Dusheti] at ten o’clock at night, when it was so dark that it was with difficulty we could keep together.
Wednesday, 2nd. Heavy rain, and most disagreeable riding; nothing like decent accommodation at Passanoor [Pasanauri], a vile Russian post-house.
Thursday, 3rd. Heavy rain all the morning. We met with no attention from the commanding officer of Kashaoor. We reached Koby, where we had good accommodation in the evening.
Friday, 4th. Detained by the rain all the morning ; marched to Cassibeg, on the banks of the Terek, where we were quartered with a Georgian family for the night, and I slept, and was properly smoked, behind the chimney.
The Georgians and Circassians, when armed, carry many ball-cartridges in small cloth bags sewed upon the breasts of their coats.
Saturday, 5th. Marched early, but had proceeded only a few miles when we were obliged to stop some hours, the Terek having carried away part of the road. After we had overcome this obstacle, we came to a second, the river having carried so much of the road away, that we were obliged to be hauled up a rock thirty feet in height, by men with ropes; and we were under the necessity of sending our horses back to Cassibeg, and remaining for the, rest of the day at Dariel, a small military post.
Sunday, 6th. We were shamefully imposed upon by a Georgian rascal, who made us pay twenty
five silver rubles for five horses, under pretense of the roads being so bad that he would be obliged
to carry us over the hills, bag and baggage, instead of which, after crossing two places where the river
had destroyed the read, we kept a good road all the way to Vladi Caucass [Vladikavkaz], a pretty little place, and considerable military post on the banks of the Terek. On sending our passport to the commanding officer, a good comfortable house was pointed out to us for quarters.
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