Travel Time in Georgia in 15-17 Centuries

მე-15-17 საუკუნეებში საქართველოში მგზავრობასთან დაკავშირებით:


მე-17 საუკუნე: შარდენი ზამთარში და უამინდობაში საშუალოდ 25-30 კმს გადიოდა დღეში. კარგ ამინდში ვფიქრობ ეს რიცხვი გაიზრდებოდა 50-55 კმ (თუ ერთი ცხენით მოგზაურობდი) და შესაძლებელია 70-მდე თუ შემცვლელი ცხენი გეყოლებოდა. მეფის მალემსრბოლელმა თბილისიდან ქუთაისში ალბათ 3-4 დღეში შეზლებდა ჩასვლას.

შედარებისათვის, მე-14 საუკუნის ინგლისში ცხენით მგზავრობის საშულო სიჩქარე იყო ზაფხულში 30 მილი (50-მდე კმ) დღეში და ზამთარში 20ის (30 კმ) ფარგლებში. მაგრამ იყო გამონაკლისი შემთხვევებიც. მაგალითად 1307 წლის 7 ივლისს გარდაიცვალა მეფე ედუარდ პირველი დაბა ბურგ ონ სენდში. მალემსრბოლელმა მეფის სიკვდილის ამბავი ჩაუტანა მომავალ მეფე ედუარდ მეორეს ლონდონში 11 ივლისს. ამ ორ ადგილს შორის 316 მილია (510 კმ) მანძილი, ანუ დაახლოებით დღეში 80 მილი ანუ 125 კმ; მაგრამ ეს გზა არც ისე მთაგორიანია

მე17 საუკუნის საფრანგეთში ეტლით მგზავრობისას (ანუ ცხენების გამოცვლით და საჭირო შესვნებებით) პარიზიდან ტულუზაში (680 კმ. მანძილი) ორ კვირაში ჩადიოდნენ; საშუალოდ 10-11 დღე სჭირდებოდათ პარიზიდან ლიონში (დაახ. 480 კმ) ჩასვლას. ანუ ეტლით საშუალოდ 45-50 კმ დღეში.




მე-16 საუკუნე: ვენეციელი ელჩი მიკელე მემბრეს, 1539 წელს, სპარსეთში ჩასასვლელად ჯერ მოუწია კვიპროსიდან ყირიმში მგზავრობა, ხოლო შემდეგ კაფიდან ანაკლიაში. საქართველოზე გავლით მემბრემ შეძლო თაბრიზში ჩასვლა. მთლიანად მგზავრობას დასჭირდა 6 თვე (მარტი-აგვისტო).

აღსანიშნავია რომ იტალიაში დასაბრუნებლად, მემბრემ სხვა გზა არჩია - ჰორმუზში ჩავიდა, პორტუგალიელებს დაუკავშირდა და მათი შემწეობით ჯერ ინდოეთში იმგზავრა, შემდეგ კი სამხრეთ აფრიკაზე გავლით,  პორტუგალიაში ჩავიდა. დასაბრუნებლად ერთ წელზე მეტი დასჭირდა.




მე-15 საუკუნე: ამბროზიო კონტარინი, ვენეციის ელჩის მგზავრობა საქართველოში, სპარსეთში უზუნ-ჰასანთან შესახვედრად.

Tiflis in late 19th century

From Walter B. Harris, From Batum to Baghdad: Viâ Tiflis, Tabriz, and Persian Kurdistan (London, 1896)

View on Batumi, 1855

HAMILTON, Cospatrick Baillie. A Series of Views in the Mediterranean, Grecian Archipelago, Bosphorus and the Black Sea, from Sketches made during a Tour in 1855 & 1856, London, Day & Son, 1857.

Thomas Alcock, Travels in Russia, Persia, Turkey... (1831)

Thomas Alcock (1801-1866) served as a Member of the British Parliament at various times between 1826 and 1865 and was known as a progressive politician and advocate of extending the franchise, a fervent supporter of the preservation of commons and open spaces for public use and recreation. In the years 1828-1829 Alcock traveled through the Russian Empire, on his way to Persia and the Ottoman Empire, and later privately published his memoirs of this journey, which lasted eighteen months. He based his account on the notes he had taken while on the road. 

Tiflis has lost much of its Asiatic character since it has belonged to Russia, but the manners and costume of the Georgians arc very oriental. They adopt partially European habits, and are divided in this manner, as well as geographically, between the Persians and Russians : they sit cross-legged, but not on the ground like the Persians, having a sort of sofa; they do not eat without knives and forks, but have one perhaps between two or three; a single plate also frequently serves the whole party. Their dress is not the large flowing robe of the south, nor is it the tight coat of the north; it is a medium, and a very pretty costume — a full frock coat with large open sleeves, a sash round the waist, a long waistcoat reaching nearly down to the knees, closed in front, and a Persian cap and slippers. 

The baths at Tiflis, as throughout the East, are of much grander construction than those in Europe; their vaulted domes forcibly reminded me of the ruins of the baths about Rome. The system of bathing is most effectual ; it may almost be said that a thin skin is peeled off. The men employed in this capacity are so diligent to do the duty completely, that the operation of being steamed, then boiled, then rubbed and rubbed again, and then deluged in soap-suds, seems of infinite duration to those who usually consider a bath as an European comfort rather than an eastern luxury. 

We visited here the remains of an ancient temple of the fire-worshipers, at present converted into the dwelling of an old Georgian woman; there was nothing in the ruin itself worthy of observation. The old lady was employed in making a bridal dress for her daughter, of more value apparently, than her whole property ; such is the oriental love of finery. In the interior of the country we happened to see the merriment of a wedding, which consisted chiefly of dancing and men were drinking. The men were formed in a ring, leaping and hallooing with such vigour that the exercise was excessive; and the bride and bridegroom, standing together, having on their heads crowns of gilded ornaments to distinguish them, as is generally the custom in marriages of the Greek church, looked like two egregious fools. 

Before the possession of Georgia by the Russians, the women wore their faces covered, according to 

the fashion and religion of their eastern neighbours; but as the result of all sudden conversions is generally a falling into the contrary extremes, they now volunteer a greater display of their charms than is becoming, and which, leaving nothing to the imagination, destroys the interest one would otherwise take in the contemplation of their handsome features. 

There are twenty-eight thousand inhabitants in Tiflis, and it is a very flourishing town, carrying on considerable trade with the East and Moscow. It is probable that its commerce will continue to increase, and that a new channel of communication will be opened by the Black Sea, through the province of Gouriel, having Poti as the port, from whence there is a good road, which will enable them to trade directly with the Mediterranean.

[...]

Whilst we were at Tiflis, the officers of one of the regiments (of which the emperor's son, Michael, had been made honorary colonel) gave a grand ball in honour of their victories [during the Russo-Ottoman War of 1828-1829]. The pashas of Kars and Bayazeed were present, being prisoners on their parole: these, with the representatives of the old Georgian court in their national costume, whose ladies were so painted and pasted that they dared not move a muscle of their faces, and sat like as many pictures, in addition to the officers of a large garrison, made it a superior sort of fancy ball. The greatest taste was displayed in furnishing the rooms with arms: a lustre from the centre of one of the saloons, formed entirely of bayonets, did great credit to those who had the arrangement. Pillars were ingeniously constructed of muskets, to support lights; and the windows being open, had blinds in front of them composed of ramrods. The Turkish colours which bad been taken in various engagements, and were suspended in the rooms, assisted greatly to decorate the festive scene. The supper-tables were ornamented with beautiful bouquets of flowers, and I felt more satisfied than ever of the superior system of handing round the dishes. The remembrance of this supper has forcibly occurred to me since my return to England, where I have seen, at public dinners, immense joints placed before individuals who act as general anatomizers to the party; and it struck me also on the same occasion, whilst drinking to the health of General Paskevitch, that this tribute performed in silence was far preferable to our system of standing up and cheering on similar occasions. Some of the Georgian ladies were dressed in European fashion, spoke French, and assisted at quadrilles, waltzes, and mazoorkas. 

[...]

An opportunity was afforded us, during our stay at Tiflis, of making a most agreeable expedition through Kaketia and Lesghia, having been requested by the colonel of a Russian regiment to accompany him on a shooting excursion, to which he had been invited by the chiefs of the little republic of Balakan, situated in the independent part of the Caucasus, In the course of our tour through Kaketia, which may be considered the finest province of the whole Caucasus, abounding in vines, extensive forests, and splendid scenery, we were received (owing to the kindness of Count Paskevitch, who sent a Georgian officer of his suite with us) in the most flattering manner every where, and in a few days got to the quarters of our friend, the colonel. On our approach, late in the evening, we were struck by the singing of the Russian soldiers, who are constantly in the habit of amusing themselves in this way, whilst others were bivouacked around immense fires; and the eager sportsmen were still admiring the result of their chase, consisting of wild boars, deer, and jackals. At day-light, roused by a splendid band of bugles, we almost fancied the martial sound a signal for battle, encamped as we were in a wild country, and accompanied by three hundred dragoons, who were stationed round a given part of a large wood, whilst we were placed in a line across it, and desired to remain perfectly mute and motionless. When all necessary preparations were made, a trumpet was sounded for the advance of the corps of beaters, who immediately set up the most horrid yells, in addition to the noise of drums, horns, and every other instrument that could be found, to astound and drive forward the game. For three or four days we continued the sport, always killing enough at the end of each day to give us pleasure in the anticipation of the morrow, but not however so much as one might imagine from the advantages already spoken of. 

Joseph M. Hone, Persia in Revolution (1910) - Part 1

Born in Dublin in February 1882, Joseph Maunsel Hone was an Irish writer and journalist. He was educated at Wellington and Jesus College, Cambridge and soon embarked on a writing career that made him a leading figure of the Irish literary revival. He published biographies and literary criticisms as well political writings included books on modern history of Ireland. In 1909, Hone decided to travel to Persia to witness political changes there. Accompanied by Page Lawrence Dickinson, he travelled from Warsaw to Persia, where he spent several weeks visiting Resht, Tehran, Kazvin and other cities. In late 1909 Hone travelled back, passing through Georgia where he stayed for some time in Tiflis (Tbilisi) and Kutaisi before sailing across the Black Sea back to Europe. In 1910 Hone and Dickinson published a book based on their voyage, Persia In revolution, which contains an interesting discussion of the situation in Georgia.

Tiflis loses its Asiatic character, but the Georgians — although their sympathies are mostly Western — seem to take little pride in the new European dignity of their city. It stands to the credit of a hated [Russian] garrison with which the patriot must have as little as possible to do. Dumas pere, travelling 

in the Caucasus, compared Georgia to a light-hearted slave, gay even in her servitude; Russia to a heavy-hearted queen, sombre in her grandeur, bowed beneath the weight of her cares. Times have changed. To-day what strikes the visitor among the Georgians is, above all else, the serious attitude of the upper and middle classes towards public affairs — their concern for the people's education, their reforming energy, their delight in abstract thought, their hopes for the destiny of their country. 

Russia is now the enemy, no longer the Shah or the Sultan, although the Georgians hate the Turk and the Persian still. Yet their Russian governors were well disposed towards them at the beginning, when, about the middle of last century, as the conquerors of Schamyl, and certain at last of Naboth's Vineyard, they breathed freely. The great Lesghian chief who had made so mighty a war could not but have stirred their imaginations; and the traditions of this land of barbaric splendour and chivalry 

seemed worthy of incorporation in Russia's own heritage. They were in a mood to be generous, and looking round them they saw the Georgian people, who had suffered so much — like themselves at the hands of Schamyl, but back, too, beyond Schamyl's days, down the centuries, at the hands of every heathendom — a people of their own religion, a people of high and mysterious lineage, of a race, scholars said, older than the Egyptian. 

Georgia, enjoying at that moment an unaccustomed security, rejoiced. She allowed herself to be made much of by the stranger. But she has realised again that she is a disappointed nation. Now when Georgians curse their fate they curse Russia too. 

There are land questions and language questions, and other discontents exist of whose reasonableness the passer-by cannot be certain. It is said, for instance, that no Georgian need apply for work to any Russian corporation, and that this explains why the able-bodied vagrant in town and country is usually a Georgian. The Russians argue that he is lazy and idle, and less efficient than the Armenian 

and Tartar. Who knows ? Rivalries and hatreds between the Georgians, the Armenians, and the Tartars, took from the recent revolt any small chance of success it might have had. And now the Tartars have given up the struggle, while the Armenians consider that the continued unrest is bad for trade. The Armenians are the Jews of the Caucasus. The Tartars are the spoilt children — fancy a Tartar being a spoilt child ! But the Georgians say that it is so. 

They are great political theorisers, the Georgians, especially those that belong to the professional classes. We spent many an evening among men of this type. All would agree in their hatreds, but some would have their special cure for the evils of the world. Social democrats raised issues with disciples of [American political economist] Henry George, with obvious Tolstoyans in blue smocks, and with landlords who (luckily) did not want their rents. There were patriots, pure and simple, in these parties, who distrusted the theorisers. They, when Government in the abstract was denounced, would say heartily enough, Bien entendu! And yet on a point of policy they disapproved of the wild dreamings of their comrades. How could a great national movement be conducted if every man had his private ideal ? 

In method the Russian administration has been violent and probably unscrupulous, so that no one race in the Caucasus has really much advantage over another in the matter of practical grievances, although the grievances of the Georgians, the Tartars, the Armenians, are not necessarily identical. However, if one people has been at all favoured, this is the Georgian, and yet the Georgians are, least of any, likely to be reconciled to the occupation. It is because they have a stronger sense of patriotism than their fellows; the intellectual headship of the Caucasian peoples being theirs, they alone possessing a sense of nationhood. Meanwhile the intelligent Russian official occupies himself with the customs, the history, the language, the antiquities of the Caucasus, and vies in this respect with the patriotic native student. 

Charles Gordon, Travels, sport, and politics in the east of Europe (1887)

Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly (1847 – 1937) was a Scottish Liberal politician. In 1870 he was appointed a Lord-in-Waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) in the first administration of Prime Minister William  Gladstone, and later served as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms in Gladstone's second administration. Huntly was also Lord Rector of the University of Aberdeen between 1890 and 1896. 

The Marquess of Huntly traveled through the Ottoman Empire in the summer of 1880, just two years after the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878. In mid-July 1880, he crossed the Black Sea to visit the Crimean peninsula in the Russian Empire and then sailed to Batumi in Georgia.

WHEN the Treaty of Berlin was being framed, people were startled to hear of Batoum, that it was to be ceded to Russia, but made a free port; a triumph of Lord Beaconsfield's [British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli] policy! Curiosity to see the place took us thither, over 300 miles nearly due south from Theodosia. We shipped in the S.S. Poushkin, a splendid new vessel, with marble-sided saloons and beautiful fittings, built at Newcastle for the Russian Company, leaving Theodosia at 7.30 in the morning, arriving at our destination at 4 p.m. the next day. 

In the south-easternmost corner of the Black Sea, on a projecting tongue of low land, formed perhaps by debris from the River Tchoruk, which  flows into the sea a few miles to the southward, is the little town of Batoum. The land stretches towards the north-east from the foot of hills a mile distant. It suddenly terminates, and the bay dips round to the east till the cliffs are reached. The entrance round the head of the point is easy; the water is deep close into the shore. The largest ships can enter in all weathers and at all seasons; an important matter, as nearly all the Euxine ports except this one and Sevastopol are closed by ice in winter. The westerly gales are the only ones feared on this coast, and from them the harbour is completely protected. The anchorage is good, and ships can lie within a cable's length of the shore. But Lord Beaconsfield was right when he said there was room for only a limited number of ships. By dredging the bay on the south-east side, however, equally good harbour accommodation to an unlimited extent can be got, and a channel inland could be made for docks by the natural cut of an old river bed with great ease, and at little cost. The orders sent to the Russian forces in the district just before the peace, were to take Batoum at all hazards. Three days before the 

conclusion of the war, the attempt was made, but failed. Three thousand five hundred Russians were buried opposite to the point (visible a few miles up the coast) after that assault, and although the numbers have never transpired, it is said thirty thousand perished altogether in the various attacks on Batoum. Through a river of blood, backed by admirable diplomacy, they have gained the only port the only position worth having, on this side of the Black Sea. What will they do with it ? 

The first act, of course, with the Russians has been to arm it. A large fort commanding the entrance at the point of the headland, which was made for the Turks by French engineers in 1863, has been put into thorough order, only requiring guns (ready at the artillery stores just outside the cordon, not a mile away) to be placed in position. The barracks inside the fort are filled with soldiers; the hills, commanding completely the harbour and town, are being entrenched with parks of artillery; a railway to join the line from Batoum to Poti and Tiflis is nearly finished; and large quantities of military stores are collected at a depot a few miles up the coast. 

The town itself is situated on a dry shingly beach. Between it and the hills is a dull, dreary swamp; and the flat inside the cordon, which is marked by a track circling the foot of the hills, contains about a thousand acres. Everything is allowed free into the town; but what a difference on going out ! The minutest inspection of baggage is insisted upon at the port, or in passing the cordon, and very heavy dues are charged. The fact is Batoum is nothing more than a large "bonded store," and the practical usefulness of its "free port" is of no account. When the natives first heard of the free port they flocked into the town, found articles cheap, but were charged such taxes on reaching the cordon as made the prices higher than before. They did not modify their anathemas on the Russians! Ships should always be allowed free into the port, but there appears to be no advantage to any one (except the Russian Government) in the present regulations. Granted that articles are cheaper to people residing in Batoum, who would or will live there ? It is difficult to drain, excessively dirty, and noted as one of the worst spots for fever in all these regions celebrated for that pestilence. With the hills so close a better site for the town will surely be found, and then it will be outside the free port ! 

Batoum is a rainy place, and the country in the vicinity very fertile. The climate is healthy in the hills, but cannot be worse in the town itself. The first thing we met in the streets was a funeral, and the hospitals are full to overflowing. This is not surprising after seeing the Russian soldiers in the town, mere boys, badly clad and worse fed. A citizen in the military employ of the Tsar only gets coarse brown bread at eleven in the morning, and greasy vegetable broth, with brown bread again, for his dinner. The most ordinary precautions are not taken to prevent him from catching fever; he is allowed to sleep (often outside his tent) on the damp ground, and he starts for parade in the morning without any food or stimulant. It is no wonder that the mortality here amongst the soldiers has been frightful. 

There are some quaint old Turkish houses, mostly deserted and ruinous, in the town, and a picturesque octagon-shaped mosque with an uncommonly good minaret in the open square behind the fort. This mosque was built by the Sultana Valideh, the mother of the Sultan Abdul Mejid, called by the Turks " The Great Sultan." The Russians have a curious law that the municipality of any place may take your land for any improvement, streets, etc., provided you have not erected buildings upon it. When Batoum became Russian the bazaars which came down to the sea-shore in the centre of the fort were objected to; but the difficulty was how to get rid of them with this law in existence. A fire 

occurred not accidentally it is said and no attempt was made to put it out until two-thirds of the bazaars were demolished! The blackened ruins only are to be seen, and a new street is being made, the Government having claimed the ground! 

The country of Lazistan, or Lazica, was peopled by a race of Mussulmans; it extended originally from the south of Trebizond considerably to the north of Poti, joining there the district of Apcasia. [Abkhazia]. The Lazes will have to remain as Russian subjects or migrate to Turkish dominions perhaps out of the frying-pan into the fire, as I heard of cases where the Turks were trying to raise the State taxes (their system of collecting rents, as all are tenants under the Crown) five years in advance. But still, with the prospect of ill-usage there, the natives are only waiting to harvest and dispose of their crops of maize to depart to Turkey. If Russia had given the natives ten years, with exemption from military service, to remain, or meanwhile to part with their holdings, and at the end of that time, 

if stopping, to become Russian subjects, they would, with this option, have probably all continued in the country ; but, alas ! a different course of action has been followed. The three years given by the Treaty of Berlin for the Turks either to remove from the territory acquired by Russia or to become subjects of the Tsar expire in February next. The authorities have checkmated the wretched people, and they are in an awkward position for themselves. They loathe the idea of becoming Russian subjects, liable for enlistment in the army, and will certainly leave the country ; but every difficulty is placed in their way of disposing of their farms and property. Strangers are not allowed to buy land from them, and although some people have purchased houses in Batoum, even Russian subjects are now prevented from buying land in the vicinity outside the cordon. Count S., whose farm I visited, has purchased two or three places, but the Government refuse to ratify the bargains, and he will not be able to retain the property. It really seems as if the Russians desire to force the people to go without getting payment for their land, or to remain as their subjects and tenants under the Government, which it is impossible to think they will do. 

The case of the Apcasians is very hard. Some sixteen or seventeen years ago a number of them, after a revolt in their country to the northward of Poti, left Russian territory and migrated to Turkish. They were given land in the valleys near Batoum, on the condition that if they farmed the places allotted (subject to certain dues) they would become their absolute property at the end of twenty years. The Russians will not recognize this agreement, and tell these settlers to shift again, or if they remain, they must pay rent at valuation for their holdings. The Apcasians and Lazes had deputed one man at each of their settlements to negotiate with a purchaser, and dispose of their places in one lot, if possible; buyers would have been found in abundance, but the transactions are stopped by the refusal 

of the Russian powers to recognise the sales. This seems to be straining with unusual severity the fortune of war against these poor people. Why has a different plan been adopted here to that pursued in the Crimea in the last century ? Was Catherine the Great a more lenient monarch than the present Tsar ? Is Russia less of a civilizing power now than she was a hundred years ago ? It is openly said that these districts will be parcelled off and allotted to various officials by the Government; but where will the labourers, the tillers of the soil, be ? Already forty thousand Lazes and Apcasians have left this part of the country, and thousands are now preparing to go. Who will replace them ? The Russian is a ridiculous colonist, and if ever so good a one, he will not come here. He has plenty of land and occupation at home. There is, however, an exception. A sect of dissenters from the orthodox church are called the Molokans. They object to the display of pictures and "tawdry" in the churches, and decline to use the liturgy. In fact, they resemble the Presbyterians. They hold peculiar views on marriage vows, and practise divorce from the matrimonial state, which, however, rarely occurs. They are scrupulously clean and sober in their habits, and are very religious and quiet people. Banished from Russia proper, the Government gave them places in various parts near the Caspian Sea to settle at, whence a small colony migrated lately to a swamp just outside the town of Batoum. Their wooden huts, raised about three feet from the ground on piles, are placed in a most unhealthy situation, but everything about them looks neat and tidy. They are employed mostly as labourers, no land having been given to them yet. If you meet one he is instantly recognised from his superior appearance to the ordinary Russ. The Molokans were turned out of Russia in the reign of Alexander I., and may now return if they like; they make good settlers, and it is a pity they are not more numerous. How lamentable the policy of Russia is ! She forces away the labouring population without the prospect of replacing it. Instead of conciliating and retaining the races under her government, she widens the differences between them and embitters the hatred of the Mussulmans. The blight of a military despotism follows her, and falls on the luckless land she governs ! 

The friend I expected to meet in Batoum had been unfortunately called away, but he left an excellent substitute in Mr. K., who was most energetic in showing a brother Englishman everything he could. The only carriage to be found was a clumsy "tarantass," very like an Irish car, but longer, and placed on four small wheels. In appearance a double sofa; its only good quality the difficulty of upsetting it. This machine, the property of the General (who was out on a holiday), Mr. K. borrowed from the aide-de-camp. We started, a party of four, following the so-called road (an earthen track abounding in mud-pockets, in which we repeatedly stuck), which forms the boundary of the free port of Batoum. A mile from the town are some newly-built barracks, empty and useless, the ground-floors being under 

water. The soldiers had been removed from them, and are now under canvas and twig huts in the port at Batoum. It seems impossible to understand why such deliberate waste in building dwelling-places in such a position should have been permitted. Crossing a small river, which is the eastern boundary of the flat, the foot of the hills is reached. Large barracks and artillery stores have been built here, and more are in the course of erection ; a branch railway from the main line to Tiflis runs through the cantonments, bisecting them and the artillery sheds. We walked up a side valley about a mile, to call on an Apcasian farmer known to Mr. K., the path leading us through thickets of tropical shrubs, rhododendrons, and azaleas, trees entwined with clematis and other creepers, patches of maize of great height here and there, showing the fertility of the soil, and not a habitation within sight till, after ascending a steep " brae-side," we suddenly came upon the hut, the farmer and his servant standing in the verandah ready to receive us. They had seen us coming, though concealed from our view. After shaking hands all round, we were invited to seat ourselves on a couch in the verandah, and then could see what a good look-out the place had, though apparently completely screened by foliage. Snug little huts appeared peeping out among fields of maize on the opposite hillside, the owners calling to one another announcing our arrival, and soon several men came up to see "the English." The farmer, a tall, well-built man of middle age, sent his servant to fetch water from a spring close by, and presented each of us with a cucumber. He entered into a lively conversation, which, however, on being interpreted, was largely an interchange of compliments. The two ladies of our party were invited inside the house to see his wife, and after formal salaams, we were conducted by another more direct path to the foot of the hill where the 

Apcasian bade us good-bye, expressing himself highly honoured by our call. None of the natives we saw here were armed, but all those met with away from their homes were indeed fully provided with weapons for any emergency; a Lazi regularly carries two daggers in his girdle, often a revolver hung in a sheath by his right side, and always a rifle slung across his shoulders, his hand grasping the butt as if ready for immediate action. Their independent gait accords well with the reputation these tribes have for fearlessness and independence, perhaps in many instances for lawlessness, but Mr. K. declares that no prospect of plunder would induce them knowingly to attack an Englishman. Rejoining our "tarantass " we drove by the roughest of bullock roads up another valley called "Gordak," as far as we could get, nearly two miles, and then walked another mile to a farm lately bought by Count S., and lunched with appetite, the air being oppressively "muggy" and tiring. This farm keeps numbers of bees. We inspected the hives, which are made out of a block of wood three to four feet long and eighteen inches in diameter; a log of this size is cut from a tree and sawn in half, then both sides are scooped out leaving one base, the two halves are joined together, a board with a few holes for the bees is nailed to the front, and the hive is complete. 

On the second morning of our visit to Batoum we had arranged another drive into the country with Mr. K. He arrived at the time appointed with a message from the " chef de police " that he could be in no way responsible for our safety, and that it was very dangerous to make expeditions into the interior. After a good laugh at this, I went to call on the Governor. He received me most courteously, and talked about the future of Batoum, and what improvements were to be made. I ventured to express an earnest hope that the Russians would carry out their designs, so as to develop so fine a country which was blessed with such a harbour. I may here remark that our visit had caused great excitement amongst the authorities at Batoum; Mr. K. had been inundated with questions as to our reasons for coming, what we intended to do, etc. ? I did my best to calm the Governor's susceptibility; every Russian official on the frontiers seems to think you have some object inimical to his country when an Englishman visits it. Undismayed by the policeman's warnings, and preferring to be guided by Mr. K.'s judgment, we started at twelve in our "tarantass " as before, but with another pair of ponies and a worse coachman, who seemed to delight in tormenting and ill-treating the beasts he drove, while he jolted us over every rough place we came to, until violent expostulation made him more merciful to them and to us. 

Passing through the town, we traversed the road to the north-east, skirting the bay, alongside of the railway, which is being made to join the Poti and Tiflis line. The beautifully wooded hills are close to the shore, and seem to form an impenetrable jungle, but here and there the glimpse of the eave of a Lazi's hut is caught amidst a mass of green. On our right we passed a prominent hillock with some ruins on the top, said to be one of the many burying places of the Georgian Queen Thamar, and now surmounted by a rude structure for containing dynamite; nearly opposite to it is an old earthwork fortification of the Turks ; after driving about four miles we reached the foot of a narrow valley, where we descended, and walked through a field of magnificent maize to a spring noted, said our cicerone, for its coolness. We found two natives reclining by its side under the shade of the alder trees around, but they shifted to give us room, and we were soon enjoying our luncheon in this delightfully shady spot, for the sun had been most oppressive. We were seated barely a quarter of an hour when four Lazes, fully armed and accoutred, arrived. The leading one advanced quickly and placed a large 

handkerchief full of pears on the ground between Mr. K. and myself. Then they all seated themselves behind us. Mr. K. did not at first recognise the donor, but, on looking round again, saluted the man, who was delighted to see him. The Lazi was a small farmer some distance up the valley, and it was most curious how he could have learned that we were there. 

Although we passed several natives on the road, we had not stopped on the way, and no one knew of our intended visit. Our companion Mr. K. declared that the natives knew the movements of every one, and again expressed his belief in the safety of any Englishman, if known to be such, in these districts. We ate some of the pears, and gave some bread and the remnants of our luncheon to our neighbours, who wrapped them carefully away. They took immense interest in the packing of our "Barrett's" lunch basket, uttering exclamations of wonder from time to time. I was then introduced as an Englishman, at which they nodded and smiled. We examined their arms ; one had a loaded gun, the barrel illuminated with " London" in gilt capital letters; and another had the Turkish Crimean medal, which, he explained, was given to him for services rendered in the commissariat department; he had not been in the regular army, but was at Sevastopol. At the mention of this word there was a twinkle in every eye, as if each would have liked to play a part in another such sad drama. 

We took leave of our friends after the exchange of grave and courtly salutations, it being evident our visit had given them pleasure, and returning to Batoum, called on Admiral and Mrs. G., who threw a damper on our hopes of leaving for Poti the next morning, prophesying wind and storm, the least amount of which pre- vents even flat-bottomed steamers from crossing the bar at Poti. The admiral is in command of the seaport of Batoum, and evidently, with his geniality and good sense, is the right man in the right place. He showed us over the general's gardens (that functionary being absent on leave). All sorts of our hothouse plants were growing in profusion, and while extolling the botanical 

beauties, the admiral heartily abused Batoum, its bad houses, and bad sanitary arrangements. But there are treasures in the little town. Two Frenchmen (brothers) keep the small Hotel de France, where we stopped. Unpretending, but clean, everything is nicely done throughout the house, and what a pleasure it is to eat a French dish after the greasy Russian messes ! Long may Messrs. C. maintain their establishment and excellent cuisine ! This is the wish of all residents in, and visitors to Batoum. 

Having gone on board the steamer at 8.30 p.m., supposed to start at midnight, we found the ship full of people; porters bringing baggage on board, men singing, children screaming, and the rain pattering down, made sleep impossible. 

We did not start from Batoum until 6 a.m., and arrived off Poti about 9 a.m., the majority of the passengers on board wet through, and the decks of the miserable steamer, the Rion, crowded with wretched mortals, Turks, Georgians, Armenians, Greeks, and Russians, in the same plight. Thanks to the generous courtesy of a gentleman (who expressed a confident opinion that if he had been in England we should have done the same thing for him), we had the only cabin on board, which he had secured. Poti is at the mouth of the River Rion, and barely four feet of water covers the bar ; the least roughness of the sea prevents vessels from crossing. The weather was calm, but there was a considerable " swell " on, so we had to wait outside for a smaller steamer. She came at last, sticking for a minute or two on the bar, but soon got off, and the swell being too great for the steamers to transfer their cargo and passengers in the open roadstead, both had to steam about a mile northwards to the new harbour of Poti. The vexation of the delay was compensated by the sight of this work, on which several hundred thousand pounds have already been thrown away. The design is simply two large semicircular breakwaters starting a quarter of a mile apart, at right angles from the straight shore, nearly three-quarters of a mile in length, and leaving an entrance about 200 yards wide. The breakwaters are formed of large con- crete blocks, the foundations being wooden piles. The sides are bulged and appear to be in a dangerous condition. A Russian gentleman naively remarked to me that bad wood had been used at first ! I think no one but a Russian engineer or contractor would have dreamt of using wood at all. Another person observed that some one had made plenty of money out of Poti harbour, and I could agree with him ! Now the engineers are trying to break the force of the sea by tipping blocks of concrete over the sides of the breakwaters, both ends of which are washed away. If they succeed in securing the sea walls, the harbour will have to be dredged out, at present there being only ten or twelve feet of water at the entrance, and the way the harbour is set, right in the channel, almost designed to catch the silt from the River Rion, will make it most difficult to keep open. However, the place answered our purpose, for we were able, in calm water, to pack ourselves and baggage like sandwiches on the smaller steamer, which took us safely over the bar, after several hitches and sticks, into the river. 

After seeing Poti and the impossibilities of the port, one cannot wonder at the desire of the Russians to obtain Batoum. Poti is situated about a mile up the river, a far-stretching alluvial swamp surrounding it ; most people give the place a bad name for fever, but, luckily, there are some who defend its reputation. Our consul, Mr. Gardner, to whose kind attention we were much indebted, will not hear it depreciated, but scouts the charge of unhealthiness, believes the harbour will yet be made a good one, nor dreads the rivalry of Batoum. That the mouth of the Rion was at one time easy of access is undoubted ; some think the retrogression of the waters of the Black Sea has altered the harbour, and certainly their level has fallen considerably in the course of many centuries. These changes may be due to comparatively recent volcanic disturbances in the Crimean peninsula, which is supposed by geologists to have been raised by igneous action; possibly to those earthquakes, which occurred in the neighbourhood of the Euxine four hundred years ago, simultaneously with the eruptions at Alupka and elsewhere, and destroyed Yalta and other towns in the district. 

For it must have been different wnen Jason and his companions in the Argo entered the river, the celebrated Phasis of those ages, in search of the Golden Fleece. Many Persian monarchs, notably Chosroes, formed fleets of ships on the Phasis wherewith to harry the trade of the Euxine ; in the second century Arrian relates that the mouth was strongly fortified " for the protection of all who sailed on the river ; " as late as the sixteenth century the Turks appear to have found the harbour easy of access, and largely used it. Notwithstanding the present drawbacks the trade of Poti is considerable, the railway connecting it with Kutais and Tiflis having done much to develop it, while the river floats down the products of the Caucasian forests, principally box, walnut, and holly, which trees flourish on the western slopes, and are largely exported to Marseilles and other ports for upholstery work. 

About seven hours' steam to the northward of Poti is the town and harbour of Soukhum-Kaleh, the chief place in the country of Abhase (more often called Apcasia). The tribes residing in the vicinity have given the Russians much trouble, retreating to their mountain fastnesses whenever attacked, and maintaining, until lately, a constant warfare. They are a wild and treacherous race, ready to take any one's life for the plunder of a few roubles. The country is rich with luxuriant vegetation, its exports of box and walnut wood being very considerable. Soukhum is the site of the ancient city of Dioscurias, named after the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, by Amphitus and Telchius, their charioteers, who are supposed to have founded it. It is said that Dioscurias was the common market for the nations living in the eastern countries beyond the Euxine, and that seventy nations, all speaking different languages from living dispersed without intercourse, assembled here for the purpose of buying salt imported from Southern Russia. Here, too, in later ages, the Genoese did a thriving but cruel trade, bartering salt for Circassian slaves to be delivered in the Turkish and Egyptian markets. In the recent war between Turkey and Russia the Turks sent an expedition against Soukhum- Kaleh, and took it ; their object being to raise the tribes in the rear of the Russian forces. They spread reports that sons of Schamyl (the great Circassian leader) were with them, and though they effected a landing, giving their antagonists much trouble, the undertaking, if well planned, seems to have been badly carried out, and failed. The sensation it caused, and the seeming readiness on the part of the tribes to rise all over the Caucasus, appear (from their manner of referring to the subject) to have made a deep impression on the Russian authorities. 

Some splendid timber trees of beech, Spanish chestnut, and walnut filled this valley, and each farm was surrounded by fruit (apple, pear, peach, quince, and fig) trees, showing the capabilities of the soil. Another jolting ride on the " tarantass " brought us back to Batoum by sundown. 

John Smith, A System of Modern Geography (1811)

In 1810-1811, John Smith published a vast encyclopedia, A System of Modern Geography: Or, the Natural and Political History of the Present State of the World, of peoples, customs and traditions of the world. Below is the section on Georgia, reflecting information collated from the writings of generations of travelers. Needless to say, many of the cited details are incorrect or obsolete but  the passage illustrates what an average literate person in the English-speaking world would have learned about the Georgians and their customs at the start of the 19th century. 

[In Georgia] the prevailing religion is undoubtedly Christian, but it is not certain to what particular church the Georgians incline, or what forms or particular ceremonies of worship are observed by them: they build their churches in remote places, and on the summit of hills and mountains, that they may be seen at a distance, and use bells in them to call the congregations together, who are, however, said to frequent them but seldom, being content with looking at, without entering them. The clergy are paid liberally, not by the living, but by the dead; for, at the death of a Georgian, the bishop requires one hundred crowns for performing the funeral rites; and this extravagant demand must be satisfied, [even if] the wife and children of the diseased be ruined to discharge it, which is frequently the case. When the bishop or priest has thus received his fee, he lays a letter on the breast of the corpse requiring St. Peter to admit the soul of the deceased to the mansions of the blessed, a situation to which he is entitled by the generosity of his surviving friends. A similar custom prevails among the Mahometans of the country, the priests of which religion address the like passport to their prophet. 

The language of Georgia is soft, harmonious, and expressive; and some writers agree in fixing the paradise of the first pair in this province, which for fertility, beauty, and serenity of air, seems more entitled to the honour than the country of Palestine. 

The Georgians concern themselves little with commerce; they are unacquainted with figures and arithmetic, few of them being able to count [to a] hundred. The principal species of their traffic is that from which uncorrupted human nature recoils; they consider their children as transferable property, in common with the beasts of the field; these they inhumanly expose to sale, and are ready to sacrifice to the lust of the highest bidder, or to gratify the avarice or flatter the ambition of the unfeeling authors of their existence.

The beauty of the Georgian, and Circassian, females renders them desirable objects for the purchase of those who are employed to supply the harems of the great, either at Constantinople or other large towns of the Turkish empire. Their usual agents on such occasions are Jews, who traverse whole provinces, culling the fairest flowers they can find, at almost any price that is demanded for them. Nor is the sale of the human species confined to the female part of it only; the male youths who are educated in the seraglio of the Grand Signor, and fitted for public offices, are mostly purchased in this country; and Christian parents, for the sake of gain, part with their infant sons to be instructed in the religion of Mahomet, and to be brought up in every species of immorality.

From the Mingrelians, who inhabit the regions bordering upon the Black Sea, the archbishop has a great revenue; for besides seven hundred vassals, bound to furnish him with the necessaries and luxuries of life, he raises money by the sale of the children of his wretched dependents, and by visitations of the several dioceses within his jurisdiction, in which he levies contributions on the other bishops and inferior clergy, demanding for the consecration of one of the former six hundred crowns, and a hundred for saying mass at the ordination of a priest. These, in their turn, plunder the people committed to their care, oppressing their vassals, selling their wives and children to slavery, commuting the most heinous crimes, and foretelling for money future events. In conformity to these practices, as soon as a Mingrelian falls sick, a priest is called in, who expects a handsome present to appease the evil genius which harasses the patient: he then pronounces what will be his future fate.

The habits of the superior clergy are scarlet; the inferior orders are distinguished from the laity by the length of their beards, and by high round caps, which are worn by all the clergy. Their churches are full of idols, among which are those of St. George and St. Grobas, which engage their principal attention; the former is held in great veneration both by Mingrelians and Georgians; to the latter they have annexed such ideas of terror, that they place their presents even at a distance from the formidable representation of imaginary power, to which they dare not approach, lest they should experience the fatal effects o£ his wrath.

Among the Mingrelians are monks and nuns who abstain wholly from animal food, but pay no other regard to religion than a strict observance of the fasts, which all the Christians of the eastern churches consider as an atonement for the omission of every other act of duty.

The ceremonies used at the death of their friends are very similar to those that will be noticed in the article [on] Persia. They abandon themselves to grief, which at the interment they wash away in plentiful draughts of wine. But the chief cause of concern to the survivors is, their being obliged to surrender to the bishop all the movables of their departed relation, whether they consist of horses, arms, clothes, or money: a right which the prince exercises at the death of a bishop, assuming the character of an ecclesiastic for the occasion, and seizing at once on the spoil which the defunct priest had collected in the plunder of great numbers of his subjects. The Mingrelians never eat pork nor drink wine without making the sign of the cross. 

Edward Backhouse Eastwick, Journal of a Diplomate's Three Years' Residence in Persia (1864) - Part 4

Edward Backhouse Eastwick (1814 – 1883) was a British orientalist, diplomat and Member of Parliament. Born into an Anglo-Indian family, he was educated at Charterhouse and at Merton College, Oxford. He joined the Bombay infantry in 1836, but, in light of his knowledge of multiple languages (including Persian and Sindhi), was later moved to a diplomatic service. In 1845 he was appointed professor of Hindustani at Haileybury College and spent the next fifteen years pursuing an academic career, translating Persian and Indian texts. In 1860 he returned to diplomatic service and became a secretary to the British Legation in Tehran. He travelled widely over the next three years, eventually publishing The Journal of a Diplomate's Three Years' Residence in Persia. In 1866 he became private secretary to the secretary of state for India, the future Marquess of Salisbury, and in 1867, was sent on a government mission to Venezuela, later publishing "Sketches of Life in a South American Republic". From 1868 to 1874 he was Member of the British Parliament. He died at Ventnor, Isle of Wight, on 16 July 1883.

In his journal, Eastwick described how he travelled from Britain to France and then, by sea, to Istanbul before arriving at Poti. After visiting Kutaisi and Surami, he turned south to Borjomi, where he met Aleksandr Baryatinsky, Russian Field Marshal (from 1859) and governor of the Caucasus. After spending a day in Borjomi, Eastwick and his companions decided to venture further south, to Abastumani.



At 10 A.M. on the 18th we mounted a couple of ragged ponies, and started with Prince _______, an officer of Cossacks, for Abbas Tumun [Abastumani]. It still rained a little, and the road was six inches, and in some places a foot, deep in mud. After crossing the wooden bridge, we turned to the south-west, and rode up a hill, which seemed to be composed of nothing but filth, passing the foot of Akhaltzik on our left, and the native town on our right. We then rode along by the river over several hills, and then for two versts up the side of a mountain. From the top there was a fine view, and below it appeared a village, four versts from Akhaltzik, where a sharp fight took place during the late war. The Turks were besieging Akhaltzik, in which was a single Bussian battalion, while they had several thousand men and sixty guns; at least so said our Cossack guide. They had also a number of ropes ready to hang the Russian garrison for attempting to hold out in a defenseless position. Indeed, the poor Russians had been three days almost without food, and were disposed to surrender; all but the commandant, who went down to the magazine, and swore he would fire it unless the troops promised to hold out, which at last they did. Meantime, four Bussian battalions came up to relieve the place, and the Turks encountered them at the village, four versts off, where they had placed their sharpshooters among some tall reeds on the river's bank. The Russians suffered some loss in crossing, but once over they got among the Turks with the bayonet, and routed them. 

The hero of the day was Prince Tarkanoff, who is the Bayard of the Army of the Caucasus. He himself believes that his life is a charmed one, and that, under the protection of his patron saint, he cannot be killed. Accordingly, though his clothes have been riddled with balls, he has never been wounded, and on this occasion he performed very remarkable exploits. In a former battle, when Prince Bebutoff commanded, and Prince Bariatinski was chief of the staff, Tarkanoff, with his single battalion, charged a regiment of Turks, who were strongly posted; he killed the Turkish colonel in single combat, and cut down the standard-bearer and another officer. His horse was shot under him, but he kept hold of the flag he had won, and shouted to his men to come on and take it. They rushed headlong on the enemy, and carried all before them. For this feat Tarkanoff was allowed to distribute the rewards to his men himself, and whatever honours he applied for for his officers were granted. 

Our guide further informed us that but for the English the Russians would have captured Kars in a few hours, and that the army of the Caucasus was incomparably superior to the other Russian troops. He added that Tarkanoff had led the storming party at Gounieb, when Schamyl [Imam Shamil] was made prisoner, and that under him the Caucasian regiments would stand against either English or French! 

The route now lay over bare hills till within five versts of Abbas Tumun. Thence the scenery improved and began to resemble that of parts of the Indian ghats. Thick woods clothed the heights, which rose once more to the dignity of mountains on each side of the valley of the Kur. After several steep ascents and descents we came upon what is called a carriage road by the side of a river, along which we galloped, passing the remains of a bridge, and also a spot where the Avars descended from the hills and almost captured the son of Prince Woronzoff. According to our Cossack guide, they did take him, but B_________ affirmed that he was saved by the fleetness of his horse. These Avars are a wild race, who are even now rather troublesome, and formerly used to carry off travelers and keep them till they were ransomed. 

Abbas Tuman is situated in a defile thickly wooded. A small fort, now in ruins, on an eminence, marks the entrance to the defile. There are mineral springs of three temperatures. The hottest is about 

100° of Fahrenheit. We alighted first at a room about eight feet square, where the police officer dwells among flies innumerable. We then went on to a lodging in a dirty wooden hut, where there were two wooden bedsteads full of bugs. The walls were literally black with flies, but the fleas were still more numerous. After killing three or four each moment for some time, I left off in despair. It now began to rain violently, and I sat cooped up in this horrible den of insects, dolefully speculating on the miseries of the coming night, and sometimes, in a half doze, imagining myself one of those wretched mendicants in India, who sell themselves for a quarter of a hour at a time to the Banyan's hospital for vermin, getting so much for allowing the insects to dine off them. On venturing out for a little in spite of the rain, I discovered that the lanes, besides being knee-deep in mud, were guarded by bands of ferocious dogs, as numerous as those at Stamboul [Istanbul], but larger and stronger. At night a stranger would be torn in pieces by these brutes. 

Meantime, B____ came to tell me that he had met a Polish lady of his acquaintance. In fact, on some pretence or other, she very soon showed herself, a sort of Lola Montes [a stage name of Elizabeth Rosanna Gilbert, Irish-born Spanish dancer and courtesan] only a blonde, with a cigarette in her mouth, and a very peculiar coiffure. How that delicate, rose-bodied (as the Orientals would say) creature could exist in the place in which we were, remains to me to this day a marvel. As night fell, such hosts of insects came out that I was smarting all over my body at once. My face and hands swelled up, and I really thought I should have been driven distracted by the torture. This was the only place I had ever been at where the flies, having maddened every other living being during the day, refused to rest at night, and continued their attacks in spite of the darkness. In addition to the flies, fleas, and bugs, there were innumerable black-beetles, and a good many centipedes ; and I could see one of the latter gentry in the leaves of the boughs which formed the roof, just over my head. In spite of all this, B______, blessed with the hide of a buffalo, was soon fast asleep. In the morning, by dint of walking about in my heavy boots, making as much noise as possible, and by opening the doors and windows, so as to create a damp, unpleasant draught, I managed to waken B____ and his servant Yakub. I insisted that we should start back immediately for Burjan; but, as it still rained heavily, he objected, and proposed instead that we should walk down and look at the springs. These are close to the river, and it is curious to see jets of water, quite hot, in such close juxtaposition to the cold stream. The taste of the mineral water was not unpleasant, and it was clear and very abundant. A number of invalid soldiers were located around the springs in tents of so flimsy a texture that they must have been poor protection against the sun, and still less efficacious against the pouring rain.

On returning from the springs, as B____ said he would not start, and pretended that horses were not procurable, I determined on setting off alone, and on foot. Just as I was going, B_____ struck his flag, and sent for the horses, and we mounted and rode back to Akhaltzik under a steady rain the whole way, and through such mud that we could not get our steeds out of a walk. We alighted again at the house of Prince Tomanoff, and B_____ then declared that he should go to see the monastery of Saphar [Sapara Monastery], which is ten miles to the south-east of Akhaltzik, among the mountains, and only to be reached by a very difficult path. Weary and wet, I was determined not to allow myself to be beaten, so I said I would accompany him. Luckily, we got two capital horses, and off we set at 6.80 p.m., with one of Prince Tomanoff's servants as our guide. The road was a mass of mud with deep holes, but we rode briskly along, having the fear of returning in the dark to stimulate us. Presently we came to a stream, which we crossed three times, and then began, to ascend a mountain. After a mile or so, our guide proposed a short cut, and we rode up the almost perpendicular side of the mountain off the path, and where, had our steeds slipped, we should have rolled down hundreds, or it may be thousands, of feet. The poor brutes seemed to know the danger, and, by super-equine efforts, managed to get upon more level ground. We then came to a small hamlet, where we procured a couple of guides. These men took us down a very steep declivity, at the end of which we had to ascend a staircase of rock. B______ here showed himself a most accomplished horseman, for he rode down the slippery steep and up the rocky ladder without a blunder. We now passed along the side of 

a mountain by a path so narrow that it looked like a ribbon before us. On our left was a tremendous ravine, which deepened as we ascended, till it was, I should imagine, 2,000 feet from where we rode to the bottom.

After winding along some two or three miles, we at length came in sight of the monastery, magnificently situated in the centre of a crescent shaped curve in the mountains, between 2,000 and 3,000 feet above the plain, and with a castle frowning over it from a giant rock some 200 feet higher still than that on which the monastery is placed. The passage to the latter from the mountain on which we were, was by a narrow ledge of rock, certainly not more than a yard broad, and broken and uneven. A single false step might have sent even a man on foot down into the abyss, and I had no sooner cast my eyes upon it than I dismounted. Not so B_____, who, with wonderful skill and nerve, crossed it on horseback. At one place his horse slipped a little, and sent a great piece of rock thundering down, and I [was] sure he was gone, but he did not lose his presence of mind in the least. When we were over, the men, who were with us, expressed their admiration of his horsemanship, and I heartily joined in.

Sapara Monastery in 1899

The precincts of the far-famed monastery of Saphar are entered by a stone portal, from which a strong wall, 150 yards long, leads up to the main building. Between it and the precipice on the far side of it, is a slip of ground, perhaps 200 yards broad. The monastery resembles that at Timotismani, and indeed all others in Georgia, but is far larger and handsomer. On each side is a square stone building with a trap-door in the centre, leading down a great distance. These were secret ways of access and egress, known only to the monks, and by no means free from danger even to their practised feet. At the back of the principal building is a row of fine Saxon-looking arches, well carved and with a long Greek or Georgian inscription. On the reverse side is a fountain of beautiful water. The view down to the plain is magnificent. For a long space there is a tableau of the tops of hills, ridges, and peaks, and beyond these the river; while farther still, huge dark mountains shut in the view. Unfortunately the sun was about to set, and such a ride as we had before us was not to be accomplished without light. So, tearing ourselves away from the beautiful scene, we set off for Akhaltzik at a great rate, and actually arrived at 8 P.m. During the latter part of the journey I trusted entirely to Providence, as I suffer from Nyctalopia, and had no idea where I was going, insomuch that but for the sagacity of my horse, I might easily have broken my neck.

B_____ was delighted with his journey to the monastery; his heart expanded with wine, and he told me the history of the fair Pole we had encountered at Abbas Tuman. Marie N , daughter of a colonel, was forced by her friends into a marriage she detested. She was separated from her husband by an amicable arrangement, and came to live at Teflis. When B_____ went to Constantinople, she set off for Poland with 500 roubles in her pocket. She had a Russian soldier as her servant, who robbed her of her all. She gave him into custody, and as there was circumstantial evidence against him, he would be kept in confinement till he confessed the whereabouts of the money. None of it would ever return to its rightful owner, cela va sans dire. "Quant a Marie," added B_____, "elle trouvera des amis." He then enlarged on this theme, and spoke of the economy of such arrangements. "Mon dieu !" said he, "on epargne comme ca la moitie de ses appointements!" I replied with a sermon, the truth of which B____ frankly admitted. "But," said he; "man is frail; disons qu'on peut resister pour deux mois, on finit par succomber. A quoi bon, done, de lutter contre un joug sous lequel on doit courber la tfite a la fin des fins?" This morality was new to me, and while I was thinking of a reply, I went to sleep, which was, perhaps, the most reasonable thing I could have done.

At 10 A.m. on the 20th of August we started from Akhaltzik for Burjan and Teflis. The road was deep in mud, but we had the very pick of the post-horses for our carriole, and went our twelve versts an hour very easily.

We reached Akshur at a quarter to twelve, and got three fresh horses, with which we went on immediately to Burjan. After going a few versts, we met Prince Tomanoff and his wife, a most lovely Georgian. I tried to converse with her, but as she had no French, and I no Georgian, it was a failure. However, the attempt amused her, and she displayed a set of teeth which surpassed anything I had ever imagined in that line. Her husband was worthy of her, handsome, well built, and with a sweet expression of countenance.

We reached Burjan at 2.80 p.m., and found there two English clergymen, who were going to visit Wardy, a city of Troglodytes [Vardzia, a cave settlement] sixty miles to the south of Akhaltzik.

On the 21st we took leave of Prince Bariatinski and started in the dormeuse [a private traveling carriage] at 10.15 a.m. from Burjan, for Teflis. We reached Suram at 1.16 p.m., and had to stop at that detestable place three hours for horses. At last about four in the afternoon, we started, and reached Gargarieff, twenty-five versts from Suram, at 6.80 p.m. Here no horses were to be had, and to add to our ill-luck, the station had tumbled down, and was being rebuilt. There was nothing for it but to pass the night a la belle etoile [under stars]. I slept in the dormeuse, and B_____ on a cot under a wretched shed. The night was bitterly cold, but like other miseries, it passed. 

At 6 A.M. on the 22nd, I got up, or rather out, cold and stiff. A cup of tea refreshed me a little, and I looked on while the horses were being put to for Prince _____, commanding a regiment of five battalions, and, as B____ remarked, so like the [Russian] Emperor Nicolas, that he might well be mistaken for his son. I had not seen the prince, but for some time I had heard a load snarling noise, and was in doubt whether it proceeded from some animal, or from a human being. Presently I found it was the prince, who was abusing all about him with a ferocity that reduced his voice to an absolute snarl. At length the horses were harnessed, and the prince then called the subaltern in charge of the station, and reviled him savagely for not having the horses ready before. He then struck him repeatedly with his fists, and drawing a whip out of his pocket, lashed him furiously over the body, face and head, and finally kicked him with his heavy boots with all his force. This was the first time I had seen a soldier so treated, and it seemed impossible but that he would turn on his assailant and knock him down. He did not however, show his resentment by any overt act but stood up and received the blows without flinching, though the expression of his features was marked enough. As for me, my blood was boiling in my veins, and I had much ado to keep silence. 

At 6.30 A.M., we got our horses and started for Gori. Throughout this stage we had on our left the splendid snow-capped mountains, which end the range of Imeretia. We reached Gori, twenty-five versts, about 9.30 am., the near fore-wheel of the darmeuse going smash just as we entered the town. 

Gori is a place of 6,000 inhabitants, with a picturesque fort on an eminence, built in the twelfth century, and a monastery perched on a far loftier hill. The great mountain of Yelburz, or Elburz is seen from the town, covered with eternal snow, and 14,000 feet high.

After lodging ourselves at the very excellent station, the chef de district, M. Gregorieff, invited us to his house. He had just recovered from typhus, and all his servants were laid up with fever. His wife, pretty, thin, and an invalid, was taking daily baths in the river for her health. She said the water was very cold. These kind people did all they could for us. A room was shown me to make my toilette in, containing a cracked ewer and basin, a good linen towel manufactured in Russia, a bottle of excellent eau-de-Cologne, a hair-brush and comb, which had seen better days, and the most venerable of toothbrushes, all which were placed absolutely at my disposal. We had an eatable breakfast, and some good cigars, and madame lent me a handkerchief, which I returned from Teflis, with a fan that cost me many roubles. The said fan, however, I fear never reached the quarter for which it was intended, for bearers of articles of luxe as presents are in Russia subject to a disease called _____, perhaps I had better not name it.

We now left the dormeuse, and getting into a carriole, started at 3 p.m. for Gori. B ___'s servant, Yakub, had been drinking our healths to such an extent that he could hardly see. He had bundled our things into the carriole in a way that rendered it impossible to sit, and after crossing the river from Gori, we had to alight and re-arrange matters. It was well we did, for the road was a succession of the deepest and hardest ruts I had ever seen. The jolting was so fearful that we could hardly keep our seats, though we held on with both hands, and every other available part of the body.

At 5 p.m. we reached a beautiful village belonging to Prince Tarkanoff, the renowned soldier. This is sixteen versts from Gori, and is by far the cleanest and neatest station all the way between Poti and Teflis. We here found a Russian officer of Cossacks, a gentlemanly, sociable fellow, who gave us tea, and offered us seats in his fourgon, which was tolerably comfortable for two, but horribly the reverse for four, as we found.

We started at 6.30 p.m. on a vile road, and every jerk sent our heads together, and against the top of the carriage. After nine versts, we met an officer coming from the station to which we were going; he kindly changed horses with us. Meantime, night was coming on fast, and our progress was slow.

The Cossack officer beguiled the way with his stories. He was about thirty-six years of age, very thin, but well-made, and wiry, and an inch or so above the middle height. He said that lately, in the vicinity of Gori, a tiger had killed and devoured a man, and was shot by two of his comrades. It measured from the neck to the insertion of the tail two archines and a half, or about seven feet six inches, and was, consequently, a royal tiger of the largest size. He said he had himself killed at Prince Tarkanoff's village, at a spot which he pointed out, three large wolves...

It had now grown quite dark, and suddenly crash went some part of the vehicle. As we could not discover what was wrong, we got out and walked a verst and a half to the station, which is eighteen versts from Prince Tarkanoff's village. It was a most miserable place, with two rooms, one occupied, and the other lately whitewashed, and the bed soaked with the droppings. A dirty woman declared herself the attendant, but all she could furnish was one tallow dip, for which she asked an enormous sum. We supped on some preserved meat, which was eminently nasty. After this we dozed as well as the insects would let us, and started the next morning at 6.30 a.m.

This stage of eighteen versts was a descent the whole way through a beautiful mountainous country, for the most part along the lofty banks of the Kur. We saw several timber rafts descending the river, and the Cossack officer said that he had once gone on a raft from Burjan to Gori in three hours. The flood was then at its height and there was considerable danger. About two versts from the station, which we reached at 8 a.m., another river falls into the Kur and swells it considerably. At this place a new station was being built, and was nearly finished. It seemed quite a palace in comparison with the places at which we had lodged. The spot is lovely, and there is, as usual, a monastery at the confluence of the rivers, for in Georgia, as well as in Europe, the monks chose all the most picturesque places for their residences. We passed several hermitages, square holes hewn in the face of the mountains, and apparently inaccessible. At the station we all deserted the fourgon, the Cossack officer and a friend getting into one carriole, and we into another.

We now travelled at great speed, and on sighting Teflis, about six versts off, our cars began to race. The Cossack's coachman stopped for a moment, when we cut in before him, and he, trying to regain his place, set off at a tremendous gallop; all he could do, however, was to bring his horses' heads into the small of our backs, as there was not room to pass. As this was excessively inconvenient, I administered some tolerably hard taps to the nose of the middle horse behind me; thereupon an altercation arose between the coachmen, and while our man was discharging some ponderous Russian oaths at the other with his head turned round, we came full tilt into a bullock-cart, and our things were thrown out, though the carriole did not upset. Altogether it was a fine confusion, for the drivers of the bullock-cart, expecting to be beaten, ran off as hard as they could across the fields, and our servants, fancying they were making off with some of our traps which had fallen on the road, pursued them, while the coachmen fought it out on the spot, and B____ and others swore in Russian, Armenian, and a diversity of tongues, each more inharmonious than the other!

We reached Teflis, fourteen versts, at 9 a.m., and I took rooms at the Hotel de Caucasie, a bedroom and sitting-room for myself, at 4 roubles and 50 kopeks, and a room for Rahim at 2 roubles and 20 kopeks (about one pound two shillings) a day.

Edward Backhouse Eastwick, Journal of a Diplomate's Three Years' Residence in Persia (1864) - Part 3

Edward Backhouse Eastwick (1814 – 1883) was a British orientalist, diplomat and Member of Parliament. Born into an Anglo-Indian family, he was educated at Charterhouse and at Merton College, Oxford. He joined the Bombay infantry in 1836, but, in light of his knowledge of multiple languages (including Persian and Sindhi), was later moved to a diplomatic service. In 1845 he was appointed professor of Hindustani at Haileybury College and spent the next fifteen years pursuing an academic career, translating Persian and Indian texts. In 1860 he returned to diplomatic service and became a secretary to the British Legation in Tehran. He travelled widely over the next three years, eventually publishing The Journal of a Diplomate's Three Years' Residence in Persia. In 1866 he became private secretary to the secretary of state for India, the future Marquess of Salisbury, and in 1867, was sent on a government mission to Venezuela, later publishing "Sketches of Life in a South American Republic". From 1868 to 1874 he was Member of the British Parliament. He died at Ventnor, Isle of Wight, on 16 July 1883.

In his journal, Eastwick described how he travelled from Britain to France and then, by sea, to Istanbul before arriving at Poti. After visiting Kutaisi and Surami, he turned south to Borjomi, where he met Aleksandr Baryatinsky, Russian Field Marshal (from 1859) and governor of the Caucasus.

I was just commencing my second dream on the night of the 14th of August, when M. B____ came into my room with Colonel Blyk, chief engineer, who said he was going on a hunting expedition into the mountains next day, and would he glad of my company. He assured me that there was every chance of finding bears, though roebucks [male roe deer] were to be the main objects of the chase. 

After this, excitement kept me from sleeping, and I was up at 4 A.M., and using strenuous efforts to rouse B_____ whose passion for hunting, being extremely limited, had had no effect on his natural somnolence. At last I succeeded and we walked down to the colonel's house, and, after tea and a cigar, mounted, and, attended by several Cossacks, took our way to the mountains on the left of the Kur  [Mtkvari] Biver. Having crossed the Kur by a tolerable wooden bridge, we turned to the right, and then to the left, and entered a densely wooded glen. We then ascended a hill about 1,500 feet high and after dismounting, were posted in places where it was supposed the game would break cover, while the Cossacks, with a number of savage-looking dogs, beat round the base of the hill. 

After a little time the dogs gave tongue and came in pursuit of two roebucks, not far from where I was, but the cover was so thick there was no getting a shot. At 10 a.m. the colonel said he must return to attend upon the prince, and gave me bis gun loaded with slugs, and said I might have the chasseurs to myself. After going on a little, B______, too, declared he must return, as he could walk no further. Indeed the exercise was very severe, as the cover was in many places most dense and full of thorns, and the ascents and descents were extremely steep. Add to which there was nothing to eat or drink, except a little coarse bread and vodka, which the Cossacks had with them. I managed, however, to cool my thirst with wild raspberries, which grow on these hills in abundance, and I was very glad to be alone with the Cossacks and Rahim, who were all eager to kill some large game. But though we worked on vigorously till 4 P.M., we could not get a shot, except once at an eagle, though the traces of bears and deer were quite fresh in many places. I, therefore, resolved to return while I had strength left to carry me home, but we had got to a place so exceedingly steep that had it not been for the innumerable shrubs and trees we certainly should have broken our necks. As it was, one of the Cossacks did not like to risk the descent, and after we had got down, we had to wait an hour for him, until he could seek out an easier place. 

On returning to the hotel, I found that the troupe who had been with me in the Emperor Alexander steamer had arrived, and were to sing that night before the prince, who had sent me an invitation. I went accordingly, and sat just behind Prince Bariatinski [Baryatinsky], and next to him at supper. He talked much of hunting in England, and in a way that showed him to be an ardent sportsman. As for the concert, the most that can be said for it was that it formed an excuse for a pleasant reunion, at which some twenty or thirty ladies were present. The performers themselves, however, were highly satisfied, and drank champagne till 4 A.M., enlivening their supper with occasional bursts of song, their voices not being much improved by the wine. 

The 16th was devoted to an expedition to the famous monastery of Timotismani [Timotesubani], which is 14 versts from Burjan [Borjomi], in an easterly direction. I walked down to Colonel Blyk's house at 10 a.m., and was told we should have to wait a little before horses could be procured. The post-horses, they said, were greatly overworked, and the Viceroy, on his last expedition, killed a dozen between Teflis and Burjan, coming at his usual headlong speed. To pass time I took a walk with the colonel in the direction of Suram, and went on until the road itself ended, and we were stopped by the clouds of dust which a party of soldiers, who were at work on the road, were raising. Each soldier, while so employed, gets 10 kopeks, about 4d. a day extra. The officer had scrambled up the almost perpendicular mountain side, and was singing away, with perfect unconcern, some 400 feet above our heads, with his legs dangling over the precipice and his soul dangling over eternity. 

At noon we started for the monastery, in the springless carrioles of the country. The road first passes up the mountain on the right bank of the Kur, and for some distance there is a tremendous precipice on the left hand, over which a shy or mistake of the horses would hurl the carriage. The route then passes along the summit of the hills, and by a stagnant lake, where I observed some snipe, and then enters a gloomy pine forest. After some versts an extremely steep and dangerous descent leads to more open ground, in which a river is twice crossed. Beyond this again the road skirts some magnificent rocks, in the tops of which a number of square hermitages are hewn, once tenanted by ascetics, and now by many falcons and other birds of prey. Soon after this we came to a defile, and, passing over some beautiful greensward, reached a group of fine trees, where, on ground eloping up to a mountain, in a complete cul de sac of hills, stands the monastery. It is of brick, the ponderous large bricks of the East; a plain oblong building, with a dome in the centre. The inside is covered with paintings of saints and inscriptions in the priestly Georgian character. The chapels were filled with green boughs, for the Viceroy had been spending two days in it with the ladies of his court and his band of musicians. Feet tripped lightly in the gay mazurkah over the graves of the monks, and fronting the portal was a gigantic swing, which looked very like a gallows. We dined on the greensward, and when we had finished our repast some peasants brought a number of trout for sale ; none of them weighed more than half a pound. After smoking our cigarettes, and admiring the rich verdure and many-tinted foliage of the trees, we returned to Burjan [Borjomi], and sat for a quarter of an hour on the brink of a precipice listening to the band playing many hundred feet below us. 

I was now most anxious to proceed to Teflis, but B_____ declared that it was absolutely necessary for him to go to Akhaltzik [Akhaltsikhe] and Abbas Tumun [Abastumani], as he had business there of importance; and as this would not cause a delay of more than a day or two, I could not well refuse to accompany him. Add to this, I was, in fact, powerless, being ignorant of the country and the languages. 

At 10 a.m., therefore, on the 17th, we started for Akhaltzik in a carriole. About four versts from Burjan [Borjomi] we passed a very remarkable and picturesque ruined castle on the right bank of the Kur. It stands on a lofty, isolated peak, about 700 feet high, which shoots up in the valley traversed by the Kur, while the valley itself is bounded on either side by mountains from 1,500 feet to 2,000 feet high, those on the river's proper right being clothed with pines to the summit, while those on the opposite side are bare, with rugged cliffs and rocks piled on rocks. Similar fortresses, similarly situated, are to be seen all along the route from Burjan to Abbas Tuman, and in many other parts of Caucasia. These, with the numerous splendid monasteries, and remains of fine bridges and other public works, sufficiently prove, what history tells us, that before the arrival of the Turks Georgia was a populous and flourishing kingdom. The Turks stamped out civilization wherever they came, and turned this beautiful paradise into a den of thieves. The castle looks best from the Burjan side, and is even more picturesque than any of the castles on the Rhine. About five versts farther on I observed a large strip of the forest, many acres in extent, in which all the trees seemed to have been struck with lightning; they were all withered, and the contrast of their brown leaves with the rich green which preceded and followed was most remarkable. 

At 1 P.M. we reached Akshur [Atskuri], 25 versts from Burjan. Here there is a castle like that already 

described, but on a much larger scale, and the peak on which it stands is more isolated, so that even in these days of rifled cannon it is still a place of some strength. In the Crimean war it was occupied by the Turks, who were drawn out of it by a feint, and then defeated by the Georgian militia, with the loss of fifty men and two guns. The post-house is a miserable hut, which with such scenery around is doubly an eyesore. I could not, however, help feeling interested in the post-master, who was a very handsome, soldier-like looking man, when B_______ told me that he had greatly distinguished himself in the above-mentioned fight with the Turks, and had captured one of the guns. On the strength of this anecdote I gave the dirty little son of the hero twenty kopeks. 

At Akshur we mounted a couple of ragged hut wiry ponies, and the head man of the village accompanied us six versts, when he applied to the head man of the next village to take his place. But he was busy settling boundaries, as indeed we saw with our own eyes, so he sent a peasant with us, who, fresh from the plough, and with his plough harness, managed to keep up with us, though we galloped a great part of the way. The hills now lost their vegetation, and rose into huge, dreary-looking mountains. Here and there a hamlet peeped out, perched on the top of a precipice, exciting our wonder as to how the inhabitants glued themselves on. 

About ten versts from Akshur, we passed a detachment of soldiers at work on the road. Akhaltzik [Akhaltsikhe] is seen at a distance of six or seven versts, and has rather an imposing appearance, which is not supported on a near approach by the reality. 

Close to the town the Kur is crossed by a bridge, and just before we reached this we came upon a party of Russian soldiers at ball [firing] practice. They were firing with bayonets fixed, with a wider stride than our riflemen take, and with the weight more on the foot to the rear. The attitude was not graceful, but the practice seemed to be pretty good, as the drum sounded constantly after a shot was fired. The target was about 150 yards off, and no flags were waved, nor had the signal-man at the target any cover. Moreover, the line of firing was unpleasantly close to the road, and a number of peasants with characteristic apathy approached so near to it, that I expected to see one of them rolled over every minute. 

Meantime, it began to rain, and I galloped on as hard as I could, as I had no change of raiment [clothing]. The guide kept up with me, and led me to a nice house with a balcony, where I dismounted, thinking it was the post-house. Presently B______ came up, and said I was wrong, and must ride on, which, on account of the rain, I was loath to do. While we were arguing the matter, the servants of the house came out, and we found that by a happy coincidence we had stopped at the house of Prince Toumanoff, chef of the district, and B_______'s cousin. 

On hearing this, we resolved, although the prince was absent, to pass the night at his house. A dismal 

night it was. I was devoured by fleas in spite of Keating's powder, and B______ was still more unfortunate. The clouds, which had been gathering since 2 P.M., and which had sprinkled us pretty well as we galloped into Akhaltzik, now sent down a perfect deluge. The lightning blazed incessantly, and the thunder kept up a continual roar, which reverberated in the mountains around us. The little stream on which the prince's house was built rose to a noisy torrent, and it seemed as if the balcony would every moment be washed away, though, in fact, the water was many feet below it. In spite of all this, B______, whose powers of slumbering are quite portentous, would have remained in blissful unconsciousness, but all of a sudden the part of the roof just over his bed was blown away by the storm. Then as he lay snoring on his back, with his mouth wide open, a cataract descended on him, which literally washed him off his couch, and dispelled his dreams in a moment. Incredible as it may seem, however, he had no sooner, wet as he was, curled himself up in a corner in the next room, than he went off again into a sound sleep and did not wake till the morning.