He spoke with great regret of his fatherland; a smile of painful delight played round his features when I mentioned his children, {312} and related how safely and well I had travelled through those provinces which, but a short time before, had been under his control. What a happiness would it be for Persia if such a man as this was to come to the throne instead of the young viceroy.
The most interesting, and, at the same time, useful acquaintance which I made was that of Herr Salzmann, a German. This gentleman possesses considerable knowledge of agriculture, and more than all, a singularly good heart; he interests himself for all kinds of people, and more especially his own countrymen. Wherever I mentioned his name, people spoke of him with true respect. He had just received a decoration from the Russian government, although he was not in their service.
Herr Salzmann has built a very handsome house, with every possible convenience for the reception of travellers; besides this he owns a large fruit-garden, ten wersti distant from the town, in the neighbourhood of which are some naphtha springs. When he found that I wished to see these he immediately invited me to join a party to visit them. The springs are situated very near to the Kurry.
Square pits, about twenty-five fathoms deep, are dug, and the naphtha is dipped out by means of wooden buckets. This naphtha, however, is of the commonest kind, of a dark brown colour, and thicker than oil. Asphalte, cart-grease, etc., are made from it.
The fine white naphtha, which can be used for lighting and fuel, is peculiar to the Caspian Sea.
A walk to the Chapel of David, which lies upon a hill immediately in front of the town, repays the trouble. Besides the lovely country, there is to be seen here a fine monument erected in memory of the Russian amba.s.sador, Gribojetof, who was murdered in Persia on the occasion of a revolt. A cross, at the foot of which lies his mourning wife, is very artistically cast in metal.
On Monday, the 5th of September, I received my pa.s.sport, about 11 o"clock; I ordered the post carriage an hour afterwards. Herr Salzmann proposed that I should visit some German settlements, which were situated at about ten or twenty wersti from Tiflis, and offered to accompany me there; but I had not much inclination to do so, more particularly as I had heard everywhere that the settlers had already much degenerated, and that idleness, fraud, dirt, drunkenness, etc., was not less frequent among them than in the Russian colonies.
I left Tiflis about 3 in the afternoon. Just outside the town stands, by the roadside, a cross cast in metal, with the eye of Providence upon a pedestal of polished granite, surrounded by an iron railing. An inscription states that, on the 12th of October, in the year 1837, his imperial majesty was upset here, but that he had escaped without injury. "Erected by his grateful subjects."
This incident appears, therefore, to have been one of the most remarkable in the life of this powerful ruler, as it has been commemorated by a monument. It has, certainly, not been erected without the approval of the emperor. I am by no means certain which is the most to be wondered at, the people who placed it here, or the monarch who permitted it.
I went only one stage today, but it was so long, that I had to continue my journey into the evening. To go any further was not to be thought of, as the country, not only here, but in the greater part of this province, is so unsafe that it is impossible to travel in the evening or night without the protection of Cossacks, for which purpose a small company is placed at each station.
The scenery was rather agreeable; pretty hills enclosed pleasant looking valleys, and on the tops of some mountains stood ruins of castles and fortified places. There were times in the history of this kingdom as well as the German when one n.o.ble made war upon the others, and no man was safe of his life and property. The n.o.bles lived in fortified castles upon hills and mountains, went out mailed and harnessed like knights, and when threatened by hostile attacks, their subjects fled to the castles. There are still said to be people who wear, either over or under the clothes, shirts of mail, and helmets instead of caps. I did not, however, see anything of the kind. The river Kurry continued to run along by our road. Not far from the station a long handsome bridge led across, but it was so awkwardly placed that it was necessary to go out of the way a whole werst to reach it.
6th September. The journey became still more romantic. Bushes and woods covered the hills and valleys, and the tall-stemmed, rich, green Turkish corn waved in the fields. There were also numbers of old castles and fortresses. Towards evening, after having with great exertion travelled four stages, I reached the little town of Gory, whose situation was exceedingly charming. Wooded mountains surrounded it in wide circles, while nearer at hand rose pretty groups of hills. Nearly in the centre of the ma.s.s of houses a hill was to be seen, whose summit was crowned by a citadel. The little town possesses some pretty churches, private houses, barracks, and a neat hospital. Both towns and villages here lose the Oriental character entirely.
When the atmosphere is clear the Caucasian mountains are to be seen rising in three ranges between the Caspian and Black seas, forming the boundary between Asia and Europe. The highest points are the Elberus and the Kasbeck; these, according to a new geography, are of the respective heights of 16,800 and 14,000 feet. The mountains were covered with snow far down their sides.
7th September. Today I travelled one stage as far as Suram: I could not proceed any further, as twelve horses were ordered for an officer who was returning from a bathing-place, with his wife and friends.
Suram lies in a fruitful valley, in the centre of which rises a beautiful mountain with the ruins of an old castle. In order to dispel my bad humour I took a walk to this old castle. Although it was considerably ruined, the lofty arches, stately walls, and extensive fortifications showed that the n.o.ble knight had lived tolerably sumptuously. On the return nothing astonished me more than the number of animals yoked to the ploughs. The fields lay in the finest plains, the ground was loose and free from stones, and yet each plough was drawn by twelve or fourteen oxen.
8th September. The mountains drew nearer and nearer together, the prospect became more beautiful; climbing plants, wild hops, vines, etc., twined round the trees to their highest branches, and the underwood grew so thick and luxuriantly, that it called to my mind the vegetation of the Brazils.
The third stage was for the greater part of the way along the banks of the river Mirabka through a narrow valley. The road between the river and the mountain side was so narrow, that in many places there was only room for one carriage. We had frequently to wait ten or twenty minutes to allow the cars loaded with wood, of which we met a great number, to pa.s.s us, and yet this was called a post-road.
Georgia has been for fifty year under Russian dominion, and only within a recent time have roads been commenced here and there.
Fifty years hence, they may, perhaps, be finished, or fallen again into decay. Bridges are as scarce as roads. The rivers, such as the Mirabka are crossed in miserable ferry boats, those which are shallower must be forded. In time of rain, or sudden thaw in the snow mountains, the rivers are overflowed, and travellers must then either wait some days or risk their lives. What a tremendous difference between the colonies of Russia and England!
Late in the evening, I arrived, wet through and covered with mud, at the station, two wersti from Kutais. It is remarkable that the post-houses are generally one or two wersti from the villages or towns. A traveller, in consequence of this custom, is exposed to the inconvenience of making a special journey if he has anything to attend to in those places.
9th September. Kutais contains 10,000 inhabitants, and lies in a natural park; all round is the most luxuriant vegetation. The houses are neat and ornamental; the green painted church towers and barracks peep invitingly from between. The large river Ribon {314} separates the town from the large citadel which very picturesquely occupies a neighbouring hill.
The dresses of the people are as various as round Tiflis; the headgear of the Mingrelian peasants appears truly comic. They wear round black felt caps, in the shape of a plate, fastened by a string under the chin. The women frequently wear the Tartarian schaube, over which they throw a veil, which, however, is put back so that the face is seen. The men wear, in the mornings, and in rainy weather, large black collars (called burki) of sheep"s wool, or felt, which reach below the knees. I must here mention that the beauty for which the Georgians are so famous must not be sought for among the common people. I did not find them particularly handsome.
The carts which the peasants use are remarkable, the front part rests upon curved pieces of wood, or sledge-bars; the hinder part upon two small thick discs of wood.
My stay in Kutais was caused by the want of horses; it was not till 2 o"clock in the afternoon that I could continue my journey. I had two stages to reach the village of Marand, which lies on the river Ribon, where the post-cars are changed for a boat, by which the journey to Redutkale, on the Black Sea, is made.
The first stage pa.s.ses chiefly through fine woods, the second presents an open view over fields and meadows; the houses and huts are quite buried beneath bushes and trees. We met a number of peasants who, although they had only a few fowls, eggs, fruits, etc., to carry to the town for sale, were nevertheless on horseback.
There was abundance of gra.s.s and willow trees, and consequently of horses and horned cattle.
At Marand I stopped, for want of an inn, with a Cossack. These people, who also live here as settlers, have pretty wooden cottages, with two or three rooms, and a piece of land which they use as field and garden. Some of them receive travellers, and know how to charge enough for the miserable accommodation they afford. I paid twenty kopecs (8d.) for a dirty room without a bed, and as much for a chicken. Beyond that I had nothing, for the people are too lazy to fetch what they have not by them. If I wanted bread, or anything that my hosts had not got, I might seek for it myself. As I have said before, it is only for an officer that they will make any exertion.
I had left Tiflis about 3 in the afternoon of the 5th of September, and reached this place in the evening of the 9th, five days to travel 274 wersti (195 miles). I call that a respectable Russian post!
The boat did not start for Redutkale, a distance of eighty wersti, until the morning of the 11th. It was bad weather; and the Ribon, otherwise a fine river, cannot be navigated during a strong wind, on account of the projecting trunks of trees and logs. The scenery still continued beautiful and picturesque. The stream flows between woods, maize, and millet fields, and the view extends over hills and mountains to the distant and gigantic Caucasus. Their singular forms, peaks, sunken plateaus, split domes, etc. appear sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left, in front, and behind, according to the ever-changing windings of the river. We frequently halted and landed, every one running to the trees. Grapes and figs were abundant, but the former were as sour as vinegar, and the latter hard and small. I found a single one ripe, and that I threw away when I had tasted it. The fig-trees were of a size such as I had never seen, either in India or Sicily. I believe the whole sap is here converted into wood and leaves. In the same way, the great height of the vines may be the cause of the grapes being so small and bad. There must certainly be a great field for improved cultivation here.
12th September. Our boat did not go far. There was a smart breeze, and as we were already near the Black Sea, we were obliged to remain at anchor.
13th September. The wind had dropped, and we could, without danger, trust ourselves on the sea, upon which we had to sail for some hours, from the princ.i.p.al arm of the Ribon to that on which Redutkale was situated. There was indeed a ca.n.a.l leading from the one to the other, but it can only be pa.s.sed at very high water, as it is much filled with drift sand.
In Redutkale, a speculating Cossack host also received me, who had three little rooms for guests.
According to the Russian calendar, this was the last day of August.
On the 1st of September, the steamer was to come, and sail again after two hours. I therefore hastened to the commandant of the town to have my pa.s.sport signed, and to request admittance to the ship.
Government steamers ply twice every month, on the 1st and 15th, from Redutkale to Odessa, by way of Kertsch. Sailing vessels rarely offer an opportunity of pa.s.sage. These steamers always keep close into the coast; they touch at eighteen stations (fortresses and military posts), carry military transports of all kinds, and convey all pa.s.sengers free. Travellers must, however, be content with a deck place: the cabins are few, and belong to the crew and higher officers, who frequently travel from one station to another. No places can be had by paying for them.
The commandant prepared my pa.s.sport and ticket directly. I cannot avoid remarking in this place that the prolixity of writing by the Russian government officials far exceeds that of the Austrians, which I had formerly considered impossible. Instead of a simple signature, I received a large written sheet, of which several copies were taken, the whole ceremony occupying more than half an hour.
The steamer did not arrive until the 5th (Russian calendar).
Nothing is more tedious than to wait from hour to hour for a conveyance, especially when it is necessary, in addition, to be ready to start at any moment. Every morning I packed up. I did not venture to cook a fowl or anything else, for fear I should be called away from it as soon as ready; and it was not until the evening that I felt a little safer, and could walk out a little.
From what I could see of the neighbourhood of Redutkale and Mingrelia altogether, the country is plentifully furnished with hills and mountains, large valleys lie between, and the whole are covered with rich woods. The air is on that account moist and unhealthy, and it rains very frequently. The rising sun draws up such dense vapours, that they float like impenetrable clouds, four or five feet above the earth. These vapours are said to be the cause of many diseases, especially fever and dropsy. In addition to this, the people are so foolish as to build their houses in among the bushes and under thick trees, instead of in open, airy, and sunny places. Villages are frequently pa.s.sed, and scarcely a house is to be seen. The men are remarkably idle and stupid; they are tawny and lean. The natives seldom reach the age of sixty; and it is said that the climate is even more unhealthy for strangers.
Still I believe that much might be done in this country by industrious settlers and agriculturists. There is abundance of land, and three-fourths of it certainly lies uncultivated. By thinning the woods and draining the land, the badness of the climate would be lessened. It is already, even without cultivation, very fruitful; and how much this might be increased by a proper and rational mode of treatment. Rich gra.s.s grows everywhere, mixed with the best herbs and clover. Fruit grows wild; the vines run up to the tops of the highest trees. It is said that in time of rain the ground is so soft, that only wooden ploughs are used. Turkish corn is most generally grown, and a kind of millet, called gom.
The inhabitants prepare the wine in the most simple manner. They hollow out the trunk of a tree, and tread the grapes in it; they then pour the juice into earthen vessels, and bury these in the ground.
The character of the Mingrelians is said to be altogether bad, and they are generally looked upon as thieves and robbers; murders are said not to be unfrequent. They carry off one another"s wives, and are much addicted to drunkenness. The father trains the children to stealing, and the mother to obscenity.
Colchis or Mingrelia lies at the end of the Black Sea, and towards the north on the Caucasian mountains. The neighbouring people were formerly known under the name of Huns and Alani. The Amazons are said to have dwelt in the country between the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
The little town of Redutkale may contain about 1,500 inhabitants.
The men are so indolent that, during the five days that I pa.s.sed here, I could not procure a few grapes or figs for love or money. I went daily to the bazaar, and never found any for sale. The people are too lazy to bring wood from the forest; they work only when the greatest necessity compels them, and require to be paid exorbitantly. I paid as much, if not more, for eggs, milk, and bread as I would have done in Vienna. It might well be said that the people are here in the midst of plenty, and yet almost starve.
I was not better pleased by the thoughtless and meaningless performance of religious ceremonies among these people. On all occasions, they cross themselves before eating or drinking, before entering a room, before putting on an article of clothing, etc. The hands have nothing else to do but to make crosses. But the most provoking thing of all is, that they stand still before every church they pa.s.s, bow half a dozen times, and cross themselves without end.
When they are travelling, they stop their carriages to perform this ceremony.
While I was at Redutkale a vessel sailed. The priests were brought on board, and were obliged to go all over the ship, and p.r.o.nounce a blessing upon it on every corner of the sails. They crept into every cabin or hole, and at last blessed the sailors, who laughed at them for their trouble.
I constantly found that there was less real religion in those places where there was the most parade made of it.
CHAPTER XXIII. EUROPEAN RUSSIA.
DEPARTURE FROM REDUTKALE--ATTACK OF CHOLERA--ANAPKA--SUSPICIOUS SHIP--KERTSCH--THE MUSEUM--TUMULI--CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNEY-- THEODOSIA (CAFFA)--PRINCE WORONZOFF"S PALACE--THE FORTRESS OF SEWASTOPOL--ODESSA.
On the 17th of September, at 9 in the morning, the steamer arrived, and an hour afterwards I was seated on the deck. The vessel was called Maladetz; it was 140 horse power, and the commandant"s name was Zorin.
The distance from Redutkale to Kertsch is only 420 miles in a straight line, but for us, who continually kept close to the sh.o.r.e, it amounted to nearly 580.