'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.' [‎155] (184/594)

through the Bhcic-Sea, and Colchis.
I have alfo feen Mais perform'd la the lame place : which
is done wirh the farne ( areleflhefe and Irreverence, and alto«
gether as has Been related in a Treacife of the Mingrehan Reli
gion. And once it was my ftap to fee one very pleafantly in
terrupted. For as I was flying with one of the we
pafs'd along before a Church where they were faying Mafs'
At what time the Pricft that laid it, underftanding that we
enquir'd the way of the People that Hood at the Door, Stay
k little, cry'd he from the Altar, Imme
diately after he came to the Door, muttering his Mafs between
his Teeth, and after he had ask'dus whence we came and whi
ther we went, he fhew'd us the way, and fo retiirn d to the
Altar again.
The 29th betimes i* the Morning We put to Sea, the wea
ther being clear and fair: and then we could difcover the high
Lands of Trehtfond, on the one fide, and of the Abcas on the
other, and that very eafily becaufe the beginning ro
wind toward the Abcas Coafts, AnaYghia Hands far out in the
circular circumference of thofe Coafts anfwering to
The is 200 Leagues in length wanting Twelve
Or Fifteen , lyitig juft Eaft and Weft. The broadeft part,
North and South, from the Bofpho with is three
degrees 5 which part is the Weftern end of the Sea ; the Oppd-
lite part not being above half fo broad. The Water pf' this
Sea feem'd to me lefs Clear, lefs Green, and lefs Salt, then
the Water of the Ocean. Which proceeds as I am apt to be
lieve from the great Rivers that empty themfelves into ic 5 and
for that it is Ihut up in its felf as it Were in the bottom df
Sack, lo that it ought to be more properly called a Lake thfen
a Sea, like theCdfpian Sea-, With which ic agrees in this, that
is common to both, that in neither of the two Seas there are
any Iflands. And therefore 'tis in vain to feck for the realbri
of its Denomination from the colour of the Water. The
Greeks gave it its Name from the Dangerous Navigation dayly
experierie'd by thofe that ventur'd into it; by realbn of the
T empefts there more frequent and boiftrdus then in other Seas:
Axenos fignifying mhofpitable, and that will not fuffer any
Perfbn to come Hear it. The Turkj therefore for the fame rfca-
fon call it Cara Denguis, or the F Cara which in the
Turkifli Language properly fignifies (Blacky denoting alfo furi
ous, dangerdus, terrible, and ferving ufually in that Idiom, for
an Epithite given to thick Forrefts, rapid Rivers, and fteep and
rwgged Mountains. NOW the reafon why the Storms are more
Violent