populous, and is said to be very rich and
powerful. I hired a vessel belonging to Anthony Valdat, which lay in the
Palus Meotis, to carry me to the city of _Phasis_. When I was ready to
embark, I met with two Armenians, one of whom had been on an embassy to
Rome, from Uzun Hassan, and was persuaded by them to prefer disembarking
at _Tina_, about an hundred miles from Trebisond, instead of Phasis,
alleging that from Tina it was only four hours journey to a castle named
_Arrius_, which depended upon the king of Persia, and promising to conduct
us to that place in safety. Although I was by no means satisfied with this
advice, I allowed myself to be guided by the consul and his brother, who
agreed in opinion with the Armenians. I accordingly left Kaffa on the 4th
of June[1], accompanied by the consul, who went with me to the river,
where our vessel was in waiting. I had formerly agreed with the master for
our passage to Phasis at seventy ducats, but on occasion of the change in
our destination, I was now obliged to pay an hundred. Being aware that I
should not be able to meet with any person to serve us at the place we
were going to, I used the precaution to hire nine men from Kaffa, to
assist the mariners of our vessel, and to procure provisions for us in our
journey through Georgia and Mingrelia.

We embarked on the 15th of June, and made sail across the Euxine, direct
for Tina, but had hardly got twenty miles on our voyage, when a contrary
wind sprung up from the east. Observing the mariners consulting together
in an extraordinary manner, I became curious to know the purpose of their
discourse. Accordingly, one Bernard, the brother-in-law of our captain,
said to me that he understood we proposed going to Tina, but advised me by
no means to do so; as a certain _Subassa_ roamed about that neighbourhood
with a band of cavalry, who would certainly make us slaves if we fell into
his hands. On this advice I changed my purpose, and the wind becoming more
favourable, we made sail for Liasi and Phasis, and arrived at _Varsi_ on
the 29th of June, where I disembarked my horses and baggage, and sent them
from thence by land to Phasis, which is sixty miles from that place.
_Varsi_ is a castle, with a small village in Mingrelia, belonging to a
lord named _Gorbola_, to whom likewise _Caltichea_[2], a place of small
importance on the coast of the Euxine, is subject. The inhabitants of this
country are very miserable, and the only producti