prehend him, he efcaped into the wood, leav ing behind him a good ox which he had ftolen, and which was prefented to the Ambaffadors. In the afternoon they paffed through the fens within two leagues of Niafabath. On the 5th they travelled eight leagues through one continued foreft, and two days after reached the city of Derbent, where they were met only by a number of Kifilbachs, the Governor not chufing to leave the castle.

The city of Derbent, which is fituated in 51° eaft longitude, and in 41° 15' north longitude, is a league in length and 450 paces broad, and may properly be called the gate of Perfia on that fide, because it reaches exactly from the foot of the mountain to the fea-fhore, where the waves fometimes beat over the walls. The modern Perfians affert, that its castle and wall on the fouth fide were built by Alexander the Great. These are near five feet thick, of a great height, and appear at a distance as if built with freeftone, though they are only formed of muscle fhells, and pieces of freestone beaten to powder, and moulded like brick; but time has cemented this fubftance to fuch a degree of hardness that no marble is comparable to it. The castle, which is the ordinary refidence of the Governor, is built upon the top of a mountain, and furnished with a garrison of 500 men who keep conftant guard. The most populous quarter of this city is at the foot of the mountain; but the lower town, which was formerly inhabited by the Greeks, is molly converted into gardens,

All

All the neighbouring coaft is one intire rock, and the walls on that fide are fo broad that a waggon may be easily driven upon them.

The adjacent mountain is full of wood, notwithstanding which are ftill to be feen the ruins of a wall, extending above 50 leagues in length, and is faid to have anciently reached from the Caspian to the Euxine Seas. In feveral places it ftill appears five or fix feet high from the ground, in others two or three, and in fome places there are no remains of it left. On the adjacent hills are alfo the ruins of many ancient caftles, two of which remain intire, and have garrifons for their defence, as have also feveral wooden redoubts, built in certain a

venues.

On one fide of the city are five or 6000 tombs covered with grave-ftones, which exceed the ordinary ftature of men, and have fome Arabic infcriptions upon them. It is faid that Kaffan King of Media, here engaging the Dageftan Tartars, was routed, and afterwards ordered thefe tombs to be made for his officers flain in the battle. Near the fea fhore are 40 tombs much larger than the former, encompaffed with a very high wall; these are faid to be the tombs of fome of his Lords and holy men, and both the Perfians and Tartars perform their devotions in these fepulchres.

The inhabitants of Derbent are all Mahometans, except a few Jews, who are faid to be of the tribe of Benjamin. It is a place of no trade, and both the foldiers and inhabitants being an infolent uncivilized people, the Mehemander

defired

defired the Ambassadors to be upon their guard. Therefore to remove all opportunities of quarrelling, ftrict orders were given to the retinue not to give the least offence to any of the foldiers or inhabitants, and to be careful not to intermeddle in their quarrels: and though the Khan of Tarku, who had paid the Ambaffadors a visit in their firft paffage that way, offered to conduct them fafely through the Tartars of Daghestan, yet the Ambaffadors confidering that he himself was a Dagheftan Tartar, fent him word, that they would not give him any trouble, and immediately ordered all the arms to be examined, when they were found to confift of 52 mufquets and fuzees, 19 cafes of piftols, two brafs guns, and four murdering pieces.

At length they got every thing in readiness for their departure, and as there was no probability of their obtaining bread for fome time, every man had four days allowance delivered to him; but on the 13th, juft as they were ready to fet forward, they were informed that the Governor had caufed the city gates to be shut, and he being asked by their Mehemander his reafon for doing it, answered that having received intelligence that one Ofmyn a Tartar Prince near Derbent, intended to attack them in their way, he being anfwerable for their fafety to the Sophi, could not fuffer them to depart without a convoy, which not being ready, he defired they would defer their departure till the next day. This they were fenVOL. XIV. L fible

fible was no more than an excufe, and though they were not defirous of his convoy, they thank❤ ed him for his care, only defiring leave to go out of the city where they would wait for the convoy, which being readily granted, they pitched their tents at about a mile's distance, near a fine vineyard upon the bank of a small river, that is the common boundary between the Perfian dominions and thofe of the Dagheftan Tartars.

CHAP.

***************

CHA P. XII.

They leave Derbent without a Convoj. A Defcription of the Dagheftan Tartars, who are af fronted by the Ambassador Brugman. The Vexations they meet with at Tarku the Capitals and the dreadful Apprehenfions they are under of being attacked by thofe, and other Tartarian Nations. They at length arrive at the Town of Andre, where they are kindly entertained. They leave that City and enter Circaffia, where they fee many Serpents and a peculiar kind of Field Mice. They arrive at Terki: proceed through a defolate Foreft to Aftrachan; arrive at Moscow, and leaving that City, return to Gottorp.

T

Hey ftaid the next morning till the fun had rifen three hours for the convoy promifed them by the Governor; but none appearing, they proceeded on their journey. Their three Lieutenants, with the foldiers under their command, marched in the van: after them came a field piece, and the four murdering pieces; then the baggage, and the Ambaffador Crufius; and thefe were followed by another fieldpiece, by the Ambaffador Brugman and the rest of the retinue. In this order they entered the country of Dagheftan.

L 2

The