Joseph Pitton de Tournefort - Relation d'un voyage du Levant fait par ordre du Roy (1717) - Part 2

Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656 – 1708) was a talented French botanist and traveler who, between 1700 and 1707, travelled through Greece, Ottoman Empire and Georgia. Although his chief interest lay in botany, Tournefort still made interesting observations on peoples that he had encountered on his journey. This translation is derived from the 1741 English edition published in London.

The King of Persia is forced to be at more charge in Georgia, than the Profits arising to him from thence will pay. To make sure of the Georgian Nobility, who are the Masters of the Country, and might give themselves up to the Turks, he bribes them with handsome Pensions. The Turks would receive them with open Arms, and the Georgians, who are a well-made People and very fit for War, are not a little inclined to change their Lord. Before the Court of Persia could be informed of their Revolt, they might not only join themselves to the Turks, but also to the Tartars and Kurdes. 

There are in Georgia a dozen considerable Families that live in a good Understanding, with relation to their common Interests. They are divided into several Branches, some have two hundred Fire-hearths [households], others from five hundred to a thousand or two thousand; nay, there are that possess even to seven or eight thousand Fire-hearths. These Fires are so many Houses, which makes Villages, and each Fire pays a Tenth to its Lord. Each Fire sends a Man in time of War; but the Soldiers are not obliged to march more than ten Days, because they can carry Provisions for no longer Term; and they retire when these grow short, supposing care has not been taken to lay in Stores to furnish them.

Any Man may make Gun-powder at Teflis for his own Use: they bring the Sulphur from the Gangel, and the Nitre is found in the Mountains near 'Teflis. Fossile Salt is very common in the Road of Erivan. Olive-Oil is very dear here: the People eat and burn nothing but Linseed Oil; all the Fields are covered with this Plant, but they cultivate it only for the Seed, for they throw away the Stalk without beating it to spin: What a Loss is here? it would make the finest Stuff's in the world; perhaps indeed those Stuffs' might prejudice their Trade of Cotton-Stuffs. 

[...]

To finish this Epistle, my Lord, it remains only that I give you an Account of what I have gathered in this Country, touching [upon] the Religion of the Georgians, if we may do them the honour to say they have any Religion at all. Ignorance and Superstition are so general among them, that the Armenians know no more of the matter than the Greeks, and the Greeks are as ignorant as the Mahometans [Muslims]. Those whom they here call Christians, place the whole of their Religion in fasting stoutly, and above all, in observing the great Lent so strictly, that the very Monks of Trappe would go near to be starved in it. Yet not only for the sake of Example, but also to avoid Scandal, the poor Italian Capuchins fast without Necessity as often and as severely as the Natives. The Georgians are very superstitious, that they would be christened anew, if they had broken but one of their Fasts. Besides the Gospel of Christ, they have their little Gospel, which is spread among them in Manuscript, and contains nothing but Extravagances: for instance, how that Jesus Christ, when a Child, learnt the Trade of a Dyer; and that being commanded by a Lord to go on an Errand, he staid too long before he came back; whereupon this Lord growing impatient, went to his Master's to inquire for him. Jesus Christ returning soon after, was stricken by this Man; but the Stick with which he did it, blossomed immediately: this Miracle was the Cause of the Conversion of this fame Lord, etc.

When a Georgian dies, if he does not leave a good deal of Money behind him, which they seldom do, the Heirs take two or three of their Vassal's Children, and sell them to the Mahometans, to pay the [Orthodox] Bishop, who has a hundred Crowns for one Mass for the Dead. The Catholicos or Armenian Bishop lays on the Breast of those that die in his Communion a Letter, whereby he desires St. Peter to open them the Gate of Paradise; and then they put him into the holy Linen. The Mahometans do the like for Mahomet. When a Man of Note is sick, they consult consult the Georgian, Armenian, and Mahometan Diviners: these Fellows commonly say that such a Saint or such a Prophet is angry and that to appease his Wrath, and cure the Patient, they must slay a Sheep, and make divers Crosses with the Blood. After the Ceremony is over, they eat the Flesh of it, whether the sick Person recovers or not. The Mahometans [Muslims] have recourse to the Georgian Saints, the Georgians to the Armenian, and sometimes the Armenians to the Mahometan Prophets: but they all hang together to create Costs for the Patient, and usually choose their Saints, according to the Inclination or Devotion of the Kinsfolk.

The Women and Girls are deeper instructed in their Superstitions than the Men. They breed up most of the Georgian Girls in the Monasteries, where they learn to read and write. They are first received Novices, and then profess themselves; after which they may perform the Aurial Functions, as baptizing and applying the holy Oils. Their Religion is properly a Mixture of the Greek and of the Armenian. There are some Mahometan Women at Teflis, who are Catholics in their Hearts, and are better Catholics than the Georgian Women, being well instructed. The Visier's Daughter, at the time we were there, the Wife of the Prince's Physician, and some others, as we were assured by the Capuccins, had been baptized in secret Those Religious confess them, and give them the Communion, visiting them under pretense of prescribing them Remedies for some feigned Distemper; and they sometimes come to their Church, where they keep standing, not daring to give any Token of their Faith. In the last Revolt of Prince George, who stirred up the whole Country against the King of Persia about twenty Year ago, the Soldiers took up up their Lodgings in the Houses of the Citizens of Teflis, and even in the Greek and Armenian Churches; but paid great Respect to the Latin Church, where the Mahometans themselves begged entrance as a Favour.

There are five Greek Churches in Teflis, four in the City, and one in the Suburb; seven Armenian Churches, two Mosques in the Citadel, and a third which is deserted. The Metropolis of the Armenians is called Sion; it is beyond the Kur upon a steep Rock; the Building is very solid, all of hewn Stone, terminated by a Dome, which is an Honour to the Town. The Tibilcle (as they call the Bishop of Teflis) dwells close to it. The Christian Churches have not only Bells, but even Crosses upon the tops of the Steeples, This is wonderful in the Levant. On the contrary, the Muezins or Mahometan Chanters dare not give out their times of Prayer in the Minarets of the Mosques of the Citadel, for fear of being stoned by the People. The Church of the Capuchins is small; but 'twill be pretty enough when completed.

Joseph Pitton de Tournefort - Relation d'un voyage du Levant fait par ordre du Roy (1717)

Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656 – 1708) was a talented French botanist and traveler who, between 1700 and 1707, travelled through Greece, Ottoman Empire and Georgia. Although his chief interest lay in botany, Tournefort still made interesting observations on peoples that he had encountered on his journey. This translation is derived from the 1741 English edition published in London.

This Georgia is an excellent Country - the Moment you [enter] the King of Persia's Dominions, People come and present you with all manner of Provisions, Bread, Wine, Fowls, Hogs, Lambs, Sheep. They especially accost Franks with a smiling Countenance, whereas in Turky you meet with none but serious Fellows that survey you gravely from head to foot. What surpriz'd us most, was, that the Georgians despise Money, and will not sell their things: Neither indeed do they give them; but they [trade] with you for Bracelets, Rings, Necklaces of Glass, little Knives, Pins or Needles. The Girls fancy themselves finer than ordinary, when they have five or fix Necklaces round their Neck and hanging down to their Breasts; their Ears also are set off with them: and yet all this together makes a very queer Show. 

[...]

[Georgians]... are larger and handsomer than the rest of Mankind, but their Manners are very simple. They use no kind of Money, no Weight, no Measure, scarce can they count above a hundred: All their Traffick [trade] is by Exchange. We therefore trusted our little Treasure to these honest People; they took what they pleas'd, but it is very certain they did not abuse the Confidence we repos'd in them. They gave us a Hen as fat as a Turkey, for a Necklace that cost but six Blancs, (Farthings) and a great Measure of Wine for Bracelets of eighteen Deniers. The Hogs run about freely, whereas in Turky they hunt them as unclean Animals: it is said they are much better in Georgia than any where else; but the reason I believe is, because most Travelers, who have generally coming Stomachs, think every thing excellent: indeed their Gammons seem'd to us a new kind of Food, for we had eat none since our Departure from the Archipelago. The Georgians look upon the Turks to be ignorant, and ridiculous in their abstaining from Hog's Flesh: the Turks, on the contrary, call the Persians Schismatics, and the Georgians Infidels, because they eat it without any scruple.

As to the Georgian Women, they did not surprise us, because we expected to find them perfect Beauties, according to the Description commonly given of them. The Women with whom we exchang'd our Enamels were not at all disagreeable; nay, they might be counted Beauties in comparison to the Kurdes, whom we had seen towards the Sources of the Euphrates. Our Georgians had however an Air of Health that was pleasing enough; but after all, they were neither so handsome nor so well shap'd as is reported. Their Skin is often perfum'd with the Vapour of Cow-dung; neither are those that live in the Towns any thing extraordinary, more than the others : so that I think I may venture to contradict the Descriptions that most Travellers have made of them. We brought the Capuchins of befits to be of our Opinion; they know the Country better than Strangers, and have not yet been able to persuade these Women to lay aside the use of the nasty Paint with which they spoil their Faces, to keep up the ancient Customs of the Country. We were told that they stole the most beautiful Girls about six or seven Years old, to carry them to [Isfahan, capital of Persia] or into Turky; the Parents of the Children and their nearest Friends often have a hand in these Doings. To avoid this Inconvenience, they marry them at seven or eight Years old, or shut them up in Nunneries; so that the Art of Ogling we had learnt at Paris was of no manner of use to us, for in all probability they had lately carried away all the Girls that were pretty to other Places...

[...]

We march'd all night the 20th of July and arriv'd not at Teflis till about Noon, and after having rested for about an hour, three Miles distance from the City, upon a good agreeable Mountain. The Carriers generally set out in the Night-time, to avoid the Couriers of the Persian Princes, who have a Privilege of taking any Horses they find upon the Roads, except those of the Franks; for they think they should violate the Duties of Hospitality, if they treated them as they do the Natives. As there are no settled Posts, and these Couriers are supposed to be riding about Affairs of Consequence, nobody grumbles at their using the Horses of private Persons; so that the dismounted Traveler is forced to walk afoot till he has caught his Horse again. This Fashion is a little uncivil; but 'tis the Custom of the Country, and it would be dangerous to resist.

After having pass'd several flat Countries, you enter into steep Passes as you approach 'Tefiis. This City is upon the Declivity of a Hill which is quite bare, in a pretty narrow Valley, five days Journey from the Caspian, and six from the Black Sea, though the Caravans reckon it double the Way. Teflis or Tiftis is at present the Capital of Georgia, known to the Ancients by the Names of Iberia and Albania...

[After discussing ancient history of Georgia, Tournefort turns to its present state]

There is a dismal Alteration in this Point now. The Prince of Georgia, who in reality is no more than Governour of the Country, must be a Mahometan; for the King of Persia will not give this Government to a Man of a Religion different from his own. The Name of the Prince of Teflis was Heraclea [Erekle I, or Nazar Ali Khan, r. 1688-1703], while we were there; he was of the Greek Rite, but they obliged him to be circumcis'd. They say this Wretch profess'd both Religions, for he went to the Mosque, and came to Mass too at the Church of the Capuchins, where he would drink his Holiness's Health. 

'Twas the most inconstant, irresolute Prince in the World; the People about him would turn his Opinion several times in an Affair as clear as the Day: here is an Instance of it which related to a Rascal, that in the Judgment of every Mortal deserv'd more than Death, were it possible to deprive a Man of any thing more precious than Life. A Nobleman came and represented to him the Enormity of the Crimes committed by this Villain; the Prince immediately commanded that the Hand should be cut off with which he had committed his Murders but a Lady, having having besought his Clemency, and assur'd him that the poor Man's Children must starve, if he lost the Hand that got them Bread, the Order was presently revers'd. A Courtier after this told the Prince, that the Man really ought to have suffer'd Death for the Good of the People. Let him be executed then, says Heraclea. The Criminal's Wife throws herself at his Feet: Suspend the Execution, cries he. After the Wife was gone, one of the Prince's Favourites put him in mind that he would lose the Respect due to him, if he pardon'd such Crimes: Let him be punish'd, says he; and then the Executioner took him at his word, and cut off the Criminal's Hand: but the Prince, at the Solicitation of another Favourite, who had receiv'd a Present from the Rogue's Relations, dispossess'd the Executioner of two Towns, which he own'd, for not having waited his last Pleasure. The Executioner in Georgia is very rich, and People of Quality exercise the Office: it is so far from being counted infamous, as in all other parts of the World, that here it reflects Glory upon a whole Family. They will boast what a number of Hang-men they have had among their Ancestors; and they build upon this Principle, that nothing is so noble as executing Justice, without which no Man could live safe. A Maxim worthy the Georgians!

Georgia is at present entirely at peace; but it has often been the Stage of the Wars between the lurks and Persians. [...] The Prince of Georgia has above six hundred Tomans [tumans] in Lands, according to the way of reckoning in this Country; one Toman is worth twelve Roman Crowns and a half, which make eighteen Aslanis or Abouquels, which are a sort of Crowns in Holland for the Levant. The Eastern People call them Aslanis, from the Figure of a Lion, which they call Aslan. This Coin is known in Egypt by the Name of Abouquel. 

The Prince's Revenues consist in a Pension of three hundred Tomans, which the King [Shah of Persia] allows him, and in the Customs of Teflis, and the Entries of Brandy and Melons; the whole amounts to near five hundred Tomans, without reckoning what he exacts under pretense of treating such great Men as pass through Teflis. The Country provides him with Sheep, Wax, Butter, and Wine. As to the Sheep, he has one every Year for every Fire-hearth, which amount to forty thousand Sheep; for though there are sixty thousand Houses in Georgia, there are Sheep bred but in forty thousand. Of Wine they give the Prince forty thousand Load; one Load weighs forty Batmans, and the Batman is six Oques.

The Sequins of Venice, which are current all over the East, are worth at Teflis six Abagis [abbassi] each, and three Chaouris or Sains. The Sequin is worth seven Livres ten Sous French Money, so that the Abagi is worth about two and twenty Sous: four Chaouris make one Abagi. This Coin seems to have retain'd the Name of those ancient Inhabitants of Iberia that were call'd Abasgians. 'Tis true, they write it Abassi, though it is pronounced Abagi, that is to say, Money coin'd in the Name of King[shah] Abass. Thus the Chaouri comes to five Sous six Deniers: An Usalton is worth half an Abagi or two Chaouris, that is to say, eleven Sous. A Chaouri or Sain is worth ten Aspers of Copper or Carbequis, forty of which make an Abagi. Lastly, a Piaster is worth ten Chaouris and a half.

The Georgians and Armenians pay Capitation to the King of Persia at the rate of six Abagis a head. This Capitation is farm'd out at three hundred Tomans. They present the King, by way of Homage, four Hawks every Year, seven Slaves every three Years, and four and twenty Loads of Wine: but much more than this is sent him and besides, most of the handsome Girls are set apart for his Seraglio. The Georgians are great Sots [habitual drunkards], and drink more Brandy than Wine; the Women carry this Debauchery even further than the Men, and when I have said thus much, I'll leave any body to judge whether they have cruel Hearts. This Excess is perhaps what has spoil'd the fine breed of Georgia, for nothing more contributes to the Procreation of handsome Children than a regular Life, for which reason the Turks are generally handsome. Very few among them are lame and crooked, especially in those Countries that lie a little distant from the Sea-Coast, where the Franks have little to do; for these Gentlemen are accus'd of being very incontinent where-ever they find an Opportunity.

There is great Debauchery in Teflis among the Christians: 'tis true they have nothing but the Appellation of Christians; and indeed the Jews and Mahometans live not a whit more soberly. Wine is the Source of all these Disorders; it would be good Policy to forbid the Use of it to those who are well in health, and to allow it only to sick People. [French traveler Jean] Chardin justly observ'd that there is hardly any Nation where they drink so much Wine as in Georgia; rich and poor, all in general, swallow it without any Moderation: this stupefies their Senses, and makes 'em the more patient under the Yoke of their Lords, who treat them tyrannically. They not only stand over them with Sticks, to force them to work, and take their Children from them, to fell them to their Neighbours, when Money runs low with them; but even pretend to have Power of Life and Death over their Subjects. The white Wine of Georgia is tolerably good; that which they send to the Court of Persia is a red Wine that has somewhat of the taste of Côte-Rôtie [French red wine appellation], but it is stronger and more heady. The Vines in this Country grow round Trees, and creep up them as in Piemont and several Parts of Catalonia. The Mahometans drink Wine, or let it alone, according to the taste of the King. If their Prince does not love it, they are forbid to touch it: but in this case 'tis with great regret, that they follow the Fashion of the Court.

Teflis is a pretty large Town, and very populous; the Houses are low, dark, and for the most part built of Mud and Bricks; and even these are superior to the Houses in the rest of the Province, where they are very far now-a-days from keeping up to the Description given us of them by Strabo... At present present the Walls of Teflis are hardly higher than those of our Gardens, and the Streets are ill pav'd. The Citadel is in the highest part of the Town, upon a fine Situation, but the Inclosure is almost [completely] ruined, and defended by very sorry Towers. The whole Garrison consists in a few wretched Mahometan Trades-people, who are paid for keeping Guard in it. There they lodge with their whole Families, and know nothing in the world of the Management of their Arms. The Place serves for a Refuge to People deep in Debt, or in fear of Prosecution for their Villanies [crimes]. The Place for Exercise, which is before it, is handsome and spacious, and serves for a Market-place, where you may buy the best Wares that the Country produces. When you come from Isfahan to Teflis, you must pass through the Citadel; so that the Prince of Georgia, who, according to the Persian Custom, must go without the City to receive the King's Orders or Presents, is forced to go through that Citadel, where the Governour might easily seize him, if he had Orders for that purpose.

The City stretches from South to North. The Citadel is in the middle. It might be made a considerable Place; for the side of the Mountain on which it is situated is very steep, and the River Cur [Kura/Mtkvari], which runs along it, is not fordable. The Circuit of the Town takes up the side of this Mountain, and makes a kind of Square, the sides whereof descend to the very bottom of the Valley ; but half the Walls are ruin'd, and scarcely so good as those of the Bois de Vincennes, whatever M. Chardin may say to the contrary. The Prince's Palace, which is below the Citadel, is very ancient, and tolerably well laid out, considering what Country it is in. The Gardens, the Volaries, the Dog-Kennel, the Falconry, the Square and Bazar, which are before it, are worth seeing. They carried us into a new Hall, which was agreeable enough, though built of nothing but Wood. It has Windows on every side, which are glaz'd with great Squares, of blue, yellow, grey, and other colour'd Glasses. There is also some Venice-Glass among the rest; but the Pieces are but small, and not comparable in Beauty to those of Paris. The Ceiling consists of Compartments of gilded Leather. The Women's Apartment, we were told, was much finer even than this... The Court was then out of Town. The Prince was said to be a little out of Order, and this was one of the chief Reasons of our leaving Teflis, for fear he should take it in his head to detain us with him, to take care of his Health, which would be nothing uncommon in the Levant,

From the Palace we went to see the Baths, which are not far from it. They are very fine Springs, and about as hot as those of the Waters of Elija near Erzerum. In the Baths of Teflis there are Waters both lukewarm and cold, besides these hot. These Baths are well kept up, and are almost the only Diversion of the Citizens of the Town. Their Trade consists mostly in Furs, which they send into Persia or to Erzerum, for Constantinople.The Silk of the Country, and that too of Shemakha and Ganja, do not pass through Teflis; which they forbear, to avoid the excessive Imposts that would be laid upon them. The Armenians go and buy it upon the spot, and have it carried to Smyrna, or some other Port of the Mediterranean, to sell it to the Franks. They send every Year, from the Country about Teflis, and other Parts of Georgia, about about two thousand Camel-load of the Root call'd Boia to Erzerum ; from thence it goes to the Diyarbakır, where it is used in dying the Stuffs which they make there for Poland. Georgia also remits great quantities of the same Root to Indostan [India], where they make the finest painted Stuffs. 

We fail'd not to take a Walk in the Bazar of Teflis, where you see all manner of Fruits, and especially Plums and excellent Summer Bon-Chretien Pears. We also went to see the Prince's Country-House, which is in the Suburb as you come from Turky. This House is distinguished by an Estrapade that is before the Door ; the Gardens are much better planted, and more artfully laid out than those in Turky. In these Gardens it was that we saw with admiration that fine Species of Persicary or Arse-smart, with Tobacco Leaves, whereof I have given a Figure and Description in one of the Volumes of the History of the Royal Academy of Sciences...

The Grand Visier's House is the finest in the City. It was hardly finish'd when we arriv'd at Teflis. The Apartments are upon a line, but low, according to the Fashion here, with Frizes of Flowers very sadly done, as also the History Paintings, in which the Figures are ill drawn, ill colour'd, and worse group'd. The Persians, tho Mahometans, are pleas'd with Pictures, and they paint in Fresco at Teflis upon beaten Plaster, in a manner agreeable enough. Plaster is very common here, and Wood too, tho their ordinary Fuel is Cow's Dung. 'Tis believ'd there are about twenty thousand Souls in the City, to wit, fourteen thousand Armenians, three thousand Mahometans, two thousand Georgians, and five hundred Roman Catholics. These last are converted Armenians, declar'd Enemies to the other Armenians; the Italian Capuchins could never reconcile them.