seback,
and partly by means of boats. Their intentions were to travel from Vati,
by Shamaki, anciently Cyropolis, and thence into Tartary. Thus left alone
in a strange land, I leave any reasonable person to think what were the
embarrassments with which I was surrounded. I was unacquainted with a
single individual, having no company but that of my domestics, and had
very little money remaining. In short, I was reduced almost to despair,
of ever being able to get out of the country. In this state of distress I
fell into a violent fever, and could get no other nourishment but bread
and water, and a pullet occasionally with much difficulty; and my fever
increased to such a degree that I became delirious. All my domestics were
attacked soon after with the same fever, the priest Stephen only excepted,
who had to take care of us all. My only bed was a wretched mattress,
which had been lent me by a person named John Volcan; and my life was
despaired of by every one, till the 9th of September, when, by the cares
of Stephen and of Martha, my good hostess, or rather through the mercy of
God, the fever abated, and I soon recovered my former health, to the
astonishment of every one. My domestics likewise recovered, and we began
again to consult on the best means of escaping out of our present
situation. Some proposed to take the road of Syria, but I deemed this too
dangerous; and we at length came to the determination, of going by
Shamaki, into Tartary, and thence by Russia, Poland, and Germany. I got
accordingly on horseback on the 10th of September, but had hardly rode
two miles when I was forced to dismount and rest myself on the ground. I
was, therefore, obliged to return to my lodging in Phasis, where we
remained till the 17th, when, being all of us restored to health and
strength, we again resumed our journey, after having implored the
protection and assistance of God. I now took a certain Greek into my
service, who could speak the Mingrelian language, who occasioned me a
thousand troubles, which it were tedious to recount.

[1] This in all probability is a corruption of Tiflis, or Teffliz, the
capital of Georgia Georgia, which is situated on the river Kur or
Cyrus, erroneously named _Tigre_ in the text. The proper name of this
country is Gurgi-stan, or the country of the Gurgi which has been
corrupted by the Europeans into Georgia.--E.

[2] Cutais in Imeritia, named Cotachis on a former occasion in the text.