Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century, Vol. IIEvliya Çelebi
History
Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century, Vol. II
Evliya Çelebi
Caucasus, South -- Description and travel; Istanbul (Turkey) -- Description and travel; Turkey -- History
west, three hundred miles from Trebisonde, but, on account of the
heavy southerly and easterly gales, no ship can pass the winter there.
Further to the west on the seashore is the village Khafál the frontier
of the tribe Arlán, consisting of ten thousand warlike men; their
harbour is called Láchigha; we remained here a night; it is a pleasant
harbour both in winter and summer. We travelled two journies further to
the west to the frontier of the tribe Chánda, fifteen hundred valiant
men, true Abázas, they are called the mountain Chándas, and their
harbour Kakúr. The village Kháke, near it, surrounded with gardens,
faces the sea. Three journies beyond, by the seashore, are the great
Chándas, twenty-five villages, fifteen thousand men; their harbour
is called Chándalar, but it gives no shelter in winter. Behind these
mountains is the land of the Mamshúkh Circassians. From the Chándas we
marched a day’s journey towards the west, by the seacoast, and came to
the tribe Kechilar; their country is like a paradise; it consists of
seventy-five villages which furnish two thousand marksmen; its waters
are pleasant. The great river Pessú flows from the Caucasus, and goes
into the Black Sea; it is a fresh stream, which affords no ferry in
summer, but is a safe shelter for ships in winter. Both shores are laid
out in gardens by the people of Kechilar, who may bring ten thousand
men into the field, the greater part horsemen. They are a very rich and
rapacious people. We remained guests in the village Háka in the house
of an Abáza, called Zeperaha, the janissaries our companions made an
entertainment of ten sheep, on which we feasted, and then proceeded two
journies westward to the tribe of Árt, who are more numerous than the
Kechilar, but they are neither so brave nor so rapacious, most of them
are merchants trading in fur. They feed a great number of swine. They
know neither religious book nor sect, but keep their word; their number
amounts to thirty thousand. Their Beg accompanied by from forty to
fifty armed Abáza brought us twenty sheep and three roes, as a present
to welcome us; he wore a coat called Kilchaklí-gebe-chekmání, carried
a bow and arrows in his hand, and wore a sword; he was a stout young
fellow. All his servants wore long hair like himself. The landing-place
of this tribe is called Ártlar; we passed a night there as guests;
it is an open place, ships therefore cannot lie there in the winter.
Another landing-place is called Liúsh, where ships lie for six months.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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