The patriarch set out on the 6th of August, and the next day Marcus Ruffus followed him, accompanied by several Russians, partly on horseback, 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. 
    —­E.

[3] These Turks must have been the Persian ambassadors of Uzun-Hassan;—­E.

[4] This proposed route seems to have been through the province of Guria
    to Batum; and, from the sequel, to have returned to Georgia and
    Shirvan, passing through Derbent and the Caspian gates, or Daghisten,
    into western Tartary.  But the names in the text are too corrupt for
    any certainty.  Calcicanus, in the text, is probably a corruption of
    Kalo Johannes, who was then prince, or emperor, of Trebisond.—­E.