'The travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East Indies, through the Black Sea, and the country of Colchis. Containing the author's voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To which is added, the coronation of the present King of Persia, Solyman the III.' [‎77] (106/594)

through the Black-Sea^ and Colchis.
will tell ye a Thoufand Stories of the Barbarous Cuftoms of
thefe People. Howevei: there is no fafety in believing the
Reports which are fpread abroad either of thofe that live upon
the Sea-Coafts, or of thofe that inhabit farther up in the Coun
try ; in regard that no body travels thither^ and all that we
know is by means of the Slaves that are brought from thence
who are all meer Savages^ from whom there is nothing to be
learnt of Certainty. This is the realbn why I have made no
more Defcriptions of Places in my Map of the
which is at the beginning of this Book, chufing rather to leave
a fpace for the Circafpans and void, then to fill it up
upon the Credit of People fo illiterate, who for the moft part
can hardly tell the North from the
The Abca's border upon the Cherts, poffefling about a Hun-
derd Miles of the Sea-Coaft between and
However they aie not altogether fo much Savages as the
Cberks, but they are equally inclin'd with to Thieving
and Robbery. The Seamen alfo Trade with 'em, With the
fame Precautions as with their Neighbors already mention'd.
They ftand in need of the fame Commodities as their Neigh
bors, and make their Exchanges in Slaves, Furrs, Does and
Tigres Skins, Linnen, Thread, Box, Wax and Honey.
The i oth of September We arriv'd at i Which is a
Road belonging to Mingrelia, pretty fafe in the Summer; and
there the Velfels that Trade into lie 5 fo that We faw
feven great Ships there, when we arriv'd in the Road, Pre-
fently our Captain faften'd his own Veffel to four Anchors, two
at the Prow and two at the Poop, and carry'd his Marts and his
Yards a (hoar. As for l/gaour it is a defeit place without any
Habitations: only according to the Number of Traders that
come thither, they build up Huts and Booths of Boughs,
as they find themfelves (ecure from the which does not
often happen. But befides thofe Huts, there is not one Houfe
to be feen.
Now before I enter into the Relation of the Hardfliips
which I fuffer'd, and the Dangers I underwent in Mingrelia,
I fltall give ye a Delcription of the Country and Parts that
border about if, without intermixing any thing Dubious, of
what I have not learnt by exa£t Information.
Colchis is fituated at the end of the To the
it is enclos'd with a little Kingdom, which makes a part of
Georgiaj which by the People of the Country is call'd lmmtta y
by