844 eOXE*S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA .

The profeffor accompanied Prince Heraclius in a campaign along, the banks of theriver Koor, eighty miles into the interior part of Georgia; and returned with him toTefflis. AH the houfes of that capital are of ftone, with flat roofs, which ferve, ac-cording to the cuftom of the Eaft, as walks for the women. The buildings are neatand clean, but the ftreets are exceedingly dirty and narrow. The town contains oneRoman Catholic , thirteen Greek, and feven Armenian churches. Having pafled thewinter at Tefflis, and in examining the adjacent country, he followed in fpring thePrince to the province of Kaketia, and explored the fouthern diflri&sdnhabited by theTurcoman Tartars, and lubjett to Heraclius , in the company of a Georgian magnate,whom he had cured of a dangerous diforder, In July he went to Imeretia, a country•which lies between the Cafpian and Black Seas, and is bounded on the eaft by Georgia,on the north by Ofietia, on the weft by Mingre!ia,-and on the fouth by the Turkifh do-minions, which are under the dominion of the Prince or Tzar Solomon *. ,

In the almoft unknown dominions of this Prince, who, from gratitude to Ruflia,afforded Guldenftaedt every afliftance in his power, the profeffor penetrated into themiddle chain of Mount Caucafus ; vifited the confines of Mingrelia , Middle Georgia,and Eaftern and Lower Imeretia, and, after efcaping many imminent dangers from ban-ditti, fortunately returned to Kiflar on the 18th of November, where he pafled the win-ter, colle&ing various information concerning the neighbouring Tartar tribes of theCaucafus, and particularly the Lefgees. In the fummer he journeyed to Cabarda Ma-jor, continued his courfe to Mount Befhtan, the higheft point of the-firft ridge of theCaucafus, infpefted the mines of Madfhar, and went to Tcherkafk upon the Don.From thence he made expeditions to Azof andTaganroc, and then along the new li-mits to the Dnieper : he finifhed this year’s route at Rrementfhuk, in the governmentof New Ruflia. In the enfuing fpring he was proceeding to Crim Tartary ; but receiv-ing an order of recal, returned through the Ukraine to Mofcow and Peterlburgh, wherehe arrived in March 1775!.

the drefs of Perfia, and regulated his court after the manner of that country. From the example of theRuffian troops, who were quartered in Georgia during the laft Turkifh war, he learnt the ufe of plates,knives and forks, difhes, houfehold furniture, &c. Although his revenues were fmall, fcareely exceeding50,oool. per annum, yet he contrived to maintain a {landing army of about fix thoufand men. He was af-terwards in clofe alliance with Ruffia, and in 1784 one of his fons was colonel of a Coffac regiment. In5787 he was compelled to renounce his'connedb’on with Ruffia, and to acknowledge himfelf tributary tothe Porte, but died foon afterwards. Georgia has been recently annexed to the Ruffian empire.

* Solomon, having upon his acceffion forbidden the fcandalous traffic praftifed by the nobles of fellingtheir peafants, greatly offended the Tuiks, who gained by that fpecies of commerce. Being by their in-trigues driven from his throne, and compelled to find an afylum in the woods and mountains, he lived likea wild man, for fixteen years, in caverns arid holes, and frequently by his perfonal courage efcaped affaf-fination, until he was reinftated in his dominions by the Ruffians in the late war. This Prince wore ufuallya coarfe drefs of a brown colour, with a mu fleet on his fhoulder ; but on folemn occafions put on a robe ofrich gold brocade, and hung round his neck a filver chain. He was diftinguifhed from his fubjefts byriding upon an afs, perhaps the only one in Imeretia, and by wearing boots. He had no regular troops,but collected a defultory army of fix thoufand men, without artillery. Thefe troops were di awn togetherby the found of the trumpet ; in other rtfpe&s the Prince’s orders were iffued at the markets, which areheld every Friday. One of his fervants afeended a tree near the place of meeting, and proclaimed the edidtwith a loud voice. His fubjedts were of the Greek religion. So’oroon died of the plague in 1784, and. was fucceeded by his nephew David, who threw himfelf under the protedtion of Ruffia. During my con-tinuance at Peterlburgh in the winter of 1784,1113 ambaffadors were introduced to the Emprefs, and in theEaftern ftyle of homage, threw themfelves on the grc-und at her feet.

f For an account of Guldenftaedt, fee Ruff Sib. vol. L p. 49. 102. 301. 548. vol. ii. p. 221. 456.vol. iii. p. 72. 42 i. H;ft. des-Decouvertes, &c, Introd. p, 27, and Nacricht voa den L.ebens-Utnftardende3 Herrn Prof. Guldenftaedt, in Joutrt. St, Pet. for 1781.

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