andoned, except by one old man, who
understood a little of our language, and who served us with much
affection.

We remained at this place till the 21st October, and on the evening
before our intended departure, the Persian ambassador, who had
accompanied the patriarch, came to Tiflis. He complained grievously of
having been plundered, through the fault of the patriarch, with whom he
had travelled to _Lavogasia_, where he had left him, and was now on his
road to complain to Uzun-Hassan. We agreed to travel in company from
Tiflis, a city belonging to Pancratis[1]. From thence in two days we
entered the territories of Uzun-Hassan, as we took the road towards
Shamaki, or Cyropolis, which is situated in a fertile and pleasant
country. On the 26th of October we separated, as the Persian went to Uzun-
Hassan at Tauris, and I took the road for the dominions of _Sivanse_, in
which Shamaki stands; but by means of the Persian ambassador I procurred
a _molah_, or Mahometan priest, to guide me on the road to Shamaki. This
country is greatly more beautiful and more fertile than the dominions of
Uzun-Hassan, and is ruled over by _Sivanse_, king of Media[2]. Of this
country Shamaki is the capital, at which place I arrived on the 1st
November 1474. This city is not so large as Tauris, but, as far as I
could judge, surpasses that place in the goodness and abundance of every
thing, especially in excellent cattle. It produces great quantities of
excellent silk, of which they manufacture various kinds of very slight
stuffs. While here, I had the good fortune to be rejoined by Marcus
Ruffus, the Muscovite ambassador, who had parted from me at Phasis, as
formerly related. Immediately on learning that I was in the city, he came
to visit me, and we embraced with cordiality. I now earnestly entreated
him to receive me and my domestics into his society for the remainder of
the journey, to which he very readily agreed.

We left Shamaki on the 6th of November, for the city of Derbent, which is
called, in the language of the country, the Caucassian Gates, or the Iron
Gates. This city is under the dominion of _Sivanse_, and stands on the
frontiers of Tartary. On our journey we travelled sometimes over plains
and sometimes on mountains, and were tolerably well treated by the
Turkish inhabitants, with whom we lodged by the way. About mid-way
between these two cities we came to a large village, where we found great
abundance of excellent fruits, parti