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See Travels of Josaphat Barbaro to Asof in 1436, in our Collection, Vol I. p. 501, in the introduction to which article, it will be seen that he had been sent on an embassy from Venice to Uzun-Hassan in 1572, two years before Contarini; and appears to have remained in the east for fourteen years in that capacity, after the departure of Contarini on his return to Venice.
Kumania and Gazzaria, here said to be provinces of the Crimea, or island of Kaffa, must have been small districts of that peninsula, inhabited by tribes of the Kumanians and Gazzarians of the country between the sea of Asof and the mouths of the Wolga, now frequently called the Cuban Tartary.
Near this isthmus of Zuchala, there are large salt water lakes, from which the salt crystallizes in summer, and is taken out in large quantities for the supply of the surrounding nations. Within the peninsula, and on the sea of Tabache or Asof, the first province we come to is Kumania, deriving its name from the people called Kumanians.
This is peculiarly the case in the present instance, and the sequel, which enumerates a number of the Caucasian petty tribes, lying between, the sea of Asof and the Caspian, now mostly subject to the Russian empire, whose momentary names and stations we dare not pretend to guess at. This odd expression, that these provinces are not far from each other, certainly means that they are not large.
It would appear that he resided for some time at Tanna, now Asof, making several journeys into the Crimea, and among the nations which inhabit between the Don and the Wolga, the Black Sea and the Caspian; and that he returned home by way of Moscow, Novogorod, Warsaw, and Francfort on the Oder, and through Germany into Italy.
On this march westwards they kept southwards close to Circassia, and turned off towards the Don and the sea of Asof, both of which were frozen over.
Proceeding westwards to the left from Tanna or Asof, along the coast of the sea of Zabachi, or the Palus Maeotis, and then for some distance along the Great or Black Sea, quite to the province of Mingrelia, one arrives, after three days journey, at the province of Chremuch, Kremuk, or Kromuk, the sovereign of which is called Bisserdi , and his son is named Chertibei , which signifies the true or real lord.
There is a peninsula attached to Russia, which contains the towns of Kafa, Aknetchet, Sevastopol, and Eupatoria: it lies between the Sea of Asof and the Gulf of Perecop. The principal gulfs are the Gulf of Baba, the Gulf of Samson, the Gulf of Varna, and the Gulf of Foros."
VIII. Travels of John de Piano Carpini, in 1246 IX. Travels of W. de Rubruquis, about 1253 X. Travels of Haitho, Prince of Armenia, in 1254 XI. Travels of Marco Polo into China and the East; from A.D. 1260 to 1295 XII. Travels of Oderic of Portenau, in 1318 XIII. Travels of Sir John Mandeville, in 1322 XIV. Itinerary of Pegoletti, between Asof and China, in 1355
Going from Tanna or Asof, by the river Don, and along the sea of Tabache or Asof, quite to Kaffa, and keeping that sea close on the left hand, we come to an isthmus or narrow neck of land, which connects the peninsula of the Crimea; with the mainland, and which is named Zuchala . This is similar to that called Essimilia, formerly the Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Morea or Peloponnesus with the continent of Greece.
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