[1] We have already seen that it was the 16th of that month when Contarini
    arrived at Kaffa.  Much confusion has occurred in the dates of this
    journey, which we have no means of correcting, and must, therefore, be
    contented with them as they are—­E.

[2] The names of places in this journal are so corrupted as to be often
    quite unintelligible.  Varsi may possibly be Vardon, in the district to
    the northwest of Mingrelia, named Abkhas; and Caltichea may perhaps be
    Sulhuali, a sea port about 30 miles to the east.  Phasis probably
    refers to some town on the river of that name, perhaps Subastei.—­E.

[3] Probably Cutais in Imeritia, on the river Riene.—­E.

[4] Perhaps Sarassan, about forty miles S. E. from Cutais.—­E.

[5] Apparently the same prince named Plangion a little before.—­E.

[6] Gori in Georgia, on the river Kur.  The journey hitherto must have been
    through Mingrelia, then apparently subject to the prince or king of
    Georgia.—­E.

[7] Probably Caloyers.—­E.

SECTION III.

Arrival of Contarini at Tauris or Ecbatana, the royal city of Uzun-Hassan, and continuation of his journey through Persia to Ispahan, where the king then resided.

On the 22d of July we began to ascend a mountain of prodigious height, insomuch, that when night came on we had scarcely reached the top, where we had to pass the night without water.  Resuming our journey in the morning, we descended the other side of the mountain, and entered the province of Armenia, which is under the dominion of Uzun-Hassan[1].  In the evening we were conducted to a fort named Reo, which stands in the plain, between a deep river and a high mountain, and which is garrisoned by Turks in the service of Uzun-Hassan, but the neighbouring village is inhabited by Armenians.  We rested in this place till the 25th of July, waiting the arrival of a guide to direct us in the remainder of the journey, and being well treated by the inhabitants, we rewarded them to their satisfaction.  The Armenian who had joined us at Kaffa, under pretence of being an ambassador from Uzun-Hassan to the Pope, was recognized by the inhabitants of this village as an impostor and a notorious robber, and many were astonished how we had escaped from his machinations:  I got rid of him therefore immediately, and made him restore me a horse which I had lent him for the journey; after which I procured a priest of an honest character to conduct me to Tauris.  Leaving Reo with my new guide on the 26th of July, we ascended a mountain, and came on the other side to a plain surrounded by hills, where we found a village inhabited by Turks, near which we had to pass the night in the open air, though the inhabitants treated us with decent civility.  Next morning we departed before day, having to pass another mountain, on the side of which was a village