, and is in possession of two fortified towns near the
sea, one of which is called _Vathi_, or Badias, and the name of the other
is Savastopol[6]. Besides these he has several other castles and fortified
rocks. The whole country is stony and barren, and millet is the only kind
of grain that it produces. They get their salt from Kaffa. They manufacture
some dark coarse stuffs, and are a gross and barbarous people. In this
country _Tetarti_ signifies _white_, and the word is likewise used to
denote silver coin: thus likewise the Greeks call silver money Aspro[7],
the Turks Akeia, and the Kathayans _Teugh_, all of which words signify
_white_; and hence, both in Venice and in Spain, certain silver coins are
all called _bianchi_, which has the same signification.

We must now give some account of Georgiana, Georgia, or Gurgistan, which
lies opposite to the last mentioned places, and borders on Mingrelia. The
king of Georgia is called Pancratius, and is sovereign of a delightful
country, which produces bread, corn, wine, cattle, and all other fruits of
the earth in great abundance; and they train up their vines around trees as
in Trebisond. The people are very handsome and well made, but they have the
most horrid manners, and the worst customs of any people I ever met with.
Their heads are shaved, except a few hairs all around, like our rich
abbots; and they wear whiskers, six inches long. On their heads they wear a
cap of various colours, with a feather on the top. Their bodies are covered
by a strait-bodied jacket, having tolerably long skirts, which are cloven
behind, quite up to their loins, as otherwise they could not conveniently
sit on horseback; but I do not blame them for this fashion, as the French
wear the same kind of dress. On their feet and ankles they wear boots, but
the soles are so strangely made, that when a man walks, his heels and toes
only touch the ground, while the middle of the foot is raised up so high,
that one may thrust the fist through below; and thence they walk with great
difficulty. I should blame them for this, if I had not known that the same
fashion prevails in Persia. At their meals, they have the following custom,
which I saw in the house of one of their great men. They use a quadrangular
table, about half an ell across, having a projecting rim, on the middle of
which they heap up a quantity of boiled millet, which is without salt or
fat, or any other seasoning, and this they eat to their mea