drinking. For this reason it is their custom,
at the conclusion of their meals, to challenge one another to drink, and
he who empties the greatest number of goblets, is held in highest esteem.
As the Turks drink no wine, their presence was some restraint that day on
their usual bacchanalian contests, and as we neither could nor would
compete with them, we were held in great contempt. The king was about
forty years old, and of large make, with a strong resemblance to the
Tartar countenance. We parted from the king of Georgia next day, and on
the 22d of July, on the confines of Mingrelia, we fell in with a Georgian
commander at the head of some troops, both cavalry and infantry who was
posted in this place to prevent injury from the disorders that had broke
out in Mingrelia, in consequence of the death of Bendian, prince of that
country. These people stopped, and frightened us with, many cruel menaces;
but at length, after being robbed of two quivers full of arrows, and
having to gratify them with some money, we escaped from them, and made
the best of our way to a distance. Leaving the public road, we struck off
into a thick wood, where we passed the night in prodigious apprehension.

On the following day, while approaching the city of _Cotati_[2], we met
some peasants in a narrow pass, who prevented us for some time from going
forwards, and even threatened to put us to death. After much altercation,
and many threats, they seized three horses belonging to the Turks[3],
which were with great difficulty redeemed for twenty ducats. On the
evening we reached Cutais, which is a royal fortress. While passing a
bridge over a river, early in the morning of the 24th of July, we were
again attacked by robbers, who came upon us suddenly, and, after many
threats, forced us to pay the full value of our horses, before they would
allow us to continue our journey. After passing this bridge, we entered
Mingrelia, where we followed our wonted custom of sleeping under the
canopy of heaven, though we had many worse inconveniencies and dangers to
encounter: for, on the 25th of July, having passed over a river by means
of rafts, we were conducted to the dwelling of a certain lady, named
_Maresca_, sister of the deceased prince Badian, who received us at first
with much civility, and treated us with bread and wine, after which we
were conducted into a field belonging to her, which was close shut on all
sides. On the morrow, when we were about to