had been a thousand times in Mingrelia.
With these able coadjutors he returned once more into the country of
Media, whence, after incredible difficulties and very considerable
danger, he succeeded in rescuing his property. On his return to Tiflis
he calculated, with the aid of his companion, the losses they had
sustained during the journey from Constantinople to Georgia, and found
that, by great good fortune, it did not exceed _one per cent._ upon the
merchandise they had succeeded in conveying safe and entire to that city.
He now tasted of that delight which springs up in the mind after dangers
escaped and difficulties overcome; and commenced the pleasing task of
studying the manners of a people among whom, however impure and depraved
might be their morals, a stranger had little to fear. The beauty of the
women, he found, was so irresistible in Georgia, and their manners so
graceful and bewitching, that it was impossible to behold them without
love; but the depravity of their morals, and the blackness and perfidy of
their souls, exceeded, if possible, the perfection of their forms, and
rendered them as odious to the mind as they were pleasing to the eye.
After remaining a short time at Tiflis, and going through the usual
routine of giving and receiving presents, &c., he departed for Armenia.
Being now accompanied by a mehmandar, or guest-guard, he proceeded
without obstacle or extortion; this officer taking upon himself the care
of adjusting matters with the custom-houses, and of providing horses,
carriage, and provisions on the way. Though in so low a latitude, the
whole face of the country was still covered with snow in March, and it
was with much difficulty that they proceeded over the narrow pathways
made by the few travellers who were compelled to traverse the country
at such a season. To guard against the reflection of the sun’s rays
from the snow, which weakened the sight, and caused a burning heat in
the face, our traveller wore a handkerchief of green or black silk tied
across the eyes, after the manner of the inhabitants, though this merely
diminished, but could not altogether prevent the evil. Whenever they met
any travellers moving in a contrary direction, they had to dispute who
should yield up the narrow path, upon which two horses could not pass
each other, and go out into the soft snow, in which the animals instantly
sunk up to their bellies; but in the end every one yielded the preference
to the mehmandar. Creeping along in this manner through the cold, they
arrived at Eryvan on the 7th of March.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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